6. a. The provisions of N.J.S. 2C:35-18 shall apply to any qualifying patient, designated caregiver, institutional caregiver, health care facility, medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, medical cannabis dispensary, medical cannabis handler, health care practitioner, academic medical center, clinical registrant, testing laboratory, or any other person acting in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) or P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.).

b. A qualifying patient, designated caregiver, institutional caregiver, health care facility, medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, medical cannabis dispensary, medical cannabis handler, health care practitioner, academic medical center, clinical registrant, testing laboratory, or any other person acting in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) or P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.) shall not be subject to any civil or administrative penalty, or denied any right or privilege, including, but not limited to, civil penalty or disciplinary action by a professional licensing board, related to the medical use of cannabis as authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) or P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.).

c. Registration with the commission, or application for registration by the commission, shall not alone constitute probable cause to search the person or the property of the registrant or applicant, or otherwise subject the person or the person’s property to inspection by any governmental agency.

d. The provisions of section 2 of P.L.1939, c.248 (C. 26:2-82), relating to destruction of cannabis determined to exist by the commission, shall not apply if a qualifying patient, designated caregiver, or institutional caregiver is registered with the commission and is in possession of no more than the maximum amount of usable cannabis that may be obtained in accordance with section 10 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-10).

e. No person shall be subject to arrest or prosecution for constructive possession, conspiracy, or any other offense for simply being in the presence or vicinity of the medical use of cannabis as authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) or P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.).

f. No custodial parent, guardian, or person who has legal custody of a qualifying patient who is a minor shall be subject to arrest or prosecution for constructive possession, conspiracy, or any other offense for assisting the minor in the medical use of cannabis as authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) or P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.).

g. For the purposes of medical care, including organ transplants, a qualifying patient’s authorized use of medical cannabis in accordance with the provisions of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.) and P.L.2015, c.158 (C. 18A:40-12.22 et al.), shall be considered equivalent to the authorized use of any other medication used at the direction of a health care practitioner, and shall not constitute the use of an illicit substance or otherwise disqualify a qualifying patient from needed medical care.

h. No public or private school or institution of higher education may refuse to enroll a person based solely on the person’s status as a registrant with the commission, unless failing to do so would result in the school or institution losing a monetary or licensing-related benefit granted pursuant to federal law. No public or private school or institution of higher education shall be penalized or denied any benefit under State law solely on the basis of enrolling a person who is registered with the commission.

i. No person shall refuse to rent, lease, or sublease any real property or part or portion thereof, or discriminate in the terms, conditions, or privileges of the rental or lease of any real property or part or portion thereof or in the furnishing of facilities or services in connection therewith, based solely on the status of the prospective tenant as a registrant with the commission, unless failing to do so would result in the person losing a monetary or licensing-related benefit granted pursuant to federal law. No such person shall be penalized or denied any benefit under State law solely on the basis of renting or leasing real property to a person who is registered with the commission.

j. No person shall be denied, or subject to adverse action in connection with, any license, certification, or permit issued pursuant to State law solely based on the person’s status as a registrant with the commission, unless issuance or continuance of the license, certification, or permit would result in the licensing or permitting agency losing federal certification, federal funding, or other benefits granted pursuant to federal law.

k. (1) Unless failing to do so would result in the health care facility losing a monetary or licensing-related benefit granted pursuant to federal law, a health care facility that employs or maintains a professional affiliation with a health care practitioner shall not take adverse employment action against the health care practitioner or otherwise limit, restrict, or terminate a professional affiliation with the health care practitioner solely based on the health care practitioner engaging in conduct authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.), including, but not limited to, authorizing patients for the medical use of cannabis, issuing written instructions pursuant to section 10 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-10), and consulting with patients regarding the use of medical cannabis to treat the patient’s qualifying medical condition.

(2) No health care facility shall be penalized or denied any benefit under State law solely on the basis of employing or maintaining a professional affiliation with a health care practitioner who engages in conduct authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.).

l. Unless failing to do so would result in the insurer or insurance association losing a monetary or licensing-related benefit granted pursuant to federal law, an insurer or insurance association authorized to issue medical malpractice liability insurance in New Jersey shall not deny coverage to a health care practitioner, increase the amount of premiums or deductibles under the policy, or charge any additional fees in connection with the policy, solely based on the health care practitioner engaging in conduct authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.), including, but not limited to, authorizing qualifying patients for the medical use of cannabis, issuing written instructions pursuant to section 10 of P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-10), and consulting with patients regarding the use of medical cannabis to treat a qualifying medical condition. No insurer or insurance association shall be penalized or denied any benefit under State law solely on the basis of providing medical malpractice liability insurance to a health care practitioner who engages in conduct authorized under P.L.2009, c.307 (C. 24:6I-1 et al.).

m. A person’s status as a registered qualifying patient, a designated or institutional caregiver, or an owner, director, officer, or employee of a medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, medical cannabis dispensary, clinical registrant, or licensed testing laboratory, or as a certified medical cannabis handler, shall not constitute the sole grounds for entering an order that restricts or denies custody of, or visitation with, a minor child of the person.

n. (1) No health care facility shall be penalized or denied any benefit under State law solely for permitting or prohibiting the handling, administration, usage, or storage of medical cannabis, provided that the facility’s policies related to medical cannabis are consistent with all other facility policies concerning medication handling, administration, usage, or storage.

(2) No health care facility shall be penalized or denied any benefit under State law solely for prohibiting the smoking of medical cannabis on facility property in accordance with the facility’s smoke free policy.

o. No action or proceeding by the Division of Child Protection and Permanency in the Department of Children and Families shall be initiated against a pregnant woman or against the parent or legal guardian of minor child on the sole grounds that the pregnant woman or the parent or legal guardian is a registered qualifying patient, a designated or institutional caregiver, an owner, director, officer, or employee of a medical cannabis cultivator, medical cannabis manufacturer, medical cannabis dispensary, clinical registrant, or licensed testing laboratory, or a certified medical cannabis handler; provided, however, that nothing in this subsection shall preclude any action or proceeding by the division based on harm or risk of harm to a child.

L.2009, c.307, s.6; amended 2015, c.158, s.4; 2019, c.153, s.8.