New Jersey’s medical marijuana program enrolment has plummeted again in 2025 as a result of the state’s legalised adult use marijuana market.

Adult-use cannabis was legalized in New Jersey early in 2021 and licensed recreational sales kicked off in April 2022. This had a pretty much immediate effect on the state’s medical cannabis program, which has been legal in the state since 2019.

The medical program hit its peak in May 2022 with 129,369 registered patients. While retail sales of medical cannabis are not subject to the state’s Sales and Use Tax among other benefits of the program such as higher purchase limits and discounts; the migration to adult-use products continues.

According to statistics from the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJ-CRC); program stats as at 15 December 2025:

• Total patients: 51,776
• Caregivers: 3,388
• Doctors: 1,545

In 2 years since recreational legalization, only 40% of the 2022 peak participation number remains.

Attempts have been made to stem the flow — including much lower registration and renewal fees for enrolled patients and their caregivers. Fees for physical cards were reduced to just $10 for two years instead of $50 a year, and free digital-only ID cards provided.

Apparently, a major contributing factor to the dropoff is because some patients cannot afford the fees being charged by some doctors; which can be as much as $200.

Still, legal cannabis remains big business in New Jersey, with $1 billion in sales in 2024. June 2024 to June 2025 sales reached just over $1.05 billion, a 17.3% jump on the same prior period.

The state’s industry is sustaining many businesses. Just in conditional license award totals as at December 17, 2025:

• Cultivator: 384
• Manufacturer: 265
• Wholesaler: 16
• Distributor: 12
• Retail: 943
• Delivery: 37
• Microbusinesses: 640

.. and then there’s conditional to annual conversions (470), and annual licenses (308).

Under the state’s medical cannabis program, patients can purchase up to 85 grams of flower for every 30-day period; with prescriptions filled at one of the state-licensed Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) or dispensaries across New Jersey. To register for the program, a patient needs to be first diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition by a New Jersey healthcare practitioner registered with the Medicinal Cannabis Program.

Among the qualifying conditions are cancer, chronic pain, inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn’s disease and Opioid Use Disorder. The law does not currently permit patients to grow their own, although there have been calls to allow home cultivation.

Under current settings patients and in addition to flower, tinctures, oils, edibles, vape cartridges, capsules, lozenges, and topical products are also available.

Further information on New Jersey’s medicinal program can be found here.