Medical marijuana patients can now order cannabis delivered to their homes, N.J. says

Medical cannabis dispensaries can begin delivering products to their patients at home, a long-awaited move that intends to ease patient access and allow them to stay away from dispensaries to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

The state Department of Health announced Thursday it has issued a waiver that allows for home delivery.

“The Department continues to prioritize patient access during this unprecedented pandemic,” Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a statement. “This new waiver will allow [alternative treatment centers], once they have submitted a plan to the Department for approval, to deliver across the state.”

Jake Honig’s Law, which Gov. Phil Murphy signed last summer to expand the state’s medical marijuana program, included provisions for home delivery. But the service never launched.

But when hours-long lines backed up dispensaries in March, the program began to talk about ways it could better serve patients — many of whom have pre-existing conditions that make them vulnerable — in the midst of a public health crisis.

Since then, the dispensaries have enacted new hygiene and social distancing policies, and some even offer curbside pickup and online appointments to avoid close contact with others.

More than 78,000 patients have signed up for the medical marijuana program in New Jersey. [Read More @ NJ.com]