New Jersey Medical Cannabis Qualifying Conditions

The 17 Qualifying Conditions

The conditions below are established under N.J.S.A. 24:6I as amended by the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act (2019). The program is administered by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC). The list expanded substantially in 2019 to include anxiety, chronic pain, and migraine, opening the program to a much wider patient population.

Brief Clinical Context

Cannabis is not a cure for any of these conditions; the program reflects state policy that cannabis may help manage symptoms in patients whose treating providers consider it appropriate.

Cancer and Cancer-Treatment Side Effects

Cancer has been on New Jersey’s list since the original 2010 Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (CUMMA). Cannabis is most often used for chemotherapy-induced nausea, appetite loss, neuropathy, and pain associated with treatment.

Chronic Pain

Added by the Jake Honig Act in 2019, chronic pain is now the most common qualifying diagnosis in New Jersey. The statute does not specify a minimum pain duration or severity score; the certifying provider exercises clinical judgment.

Anxiety

Added in 2019. Generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder are routinely certified. Some providers also certify under this category for adjustment disorder and anxiety associated with chronic illness.

PTSD — The “NJ PTSD Card”

PTSD is a separate stand-alone qualifying condition in New Jersey, distinct from the broader anxiety category. Veterans should bring documentation of their VA diagnosis to the evaluation; VA physicians cannot certify directly, but a CRC-registered New Jersey physician can review VA records and issue a state certification.

Opioid Use Disorder

New Jersey was an early state to add opioid use disorder as a qualifying condition. Patients in medication-assisted treatment (e.g., buprenorphine, methadone) may qualify; coordination with the prescribing provider is recommended.

Migraine

Chronic migraine is its own qualifying category in New Jersey. Patients with cluster headache or hemicrania continua are often certified under this or the chronic-pain category.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Covers Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Many IBD patients use cannabis adjunctively for pain, sleep, nausea, and appetite stimulation.

Seizure Disorder and Epilepsy

Both are listed. CBD-dominant products are commonly used; FDA-approved Epidiolex is also available outside the cannabis program for specific pediatric epilepsies.

MS, ALS, and Muscular Dystrophy

Cannabis is used adjunctively for spasticity, pain, sleep, and appetite. The CRC’s “intractable skeletal muscular spasticity” category covers spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy, dystonia, and similar conditions.

The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission administers the Medicinal Cannabis Program under the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act.

NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission

What If My Condition Is Not Listed?

The CRC has a petition process to add new conditions; petitions historically have been infrequently granted and changes have mostly come through legislative amendments to N.J.S.A. 24:6I. If your diagnosis does not match the list, talk to a CRC-registered provider — many conditions can be certified under the broader chronic-pain or anxiety categories.

For Research-Backed Information

For evidence-based summaries on how cannabis may affect specific conditions, see TryCannabis.org’s conditions guide. Always consult your treating physician about whether cannabis is appropriate for your specific situation.

Next Steps

• If you match one of the 17 conditions, see how to apply for a New Jersey medical card.
• Compare costs and tax savings on the cost & renewal page.
• Out-of-state visitors should review New Jersey medical card reciprocity.