Medical and adult-use cannabis homegrow legalization bills have been reintroduced to the NJ Legislature with bipartisan support from across the state.

New Medical Cannabis Homegrow Legalization Bill

The medical cannabis homegrow legalization bill in the new session of the legislature is S 1758.

It explains that it “provides that a registered qualifying patient who is 21 years of age or older who provides notice to the Cannabis Regulatory Commission of the intent to home cultivate medical cannabis will be allowed…”

“A home cultivator will be allowed to cultivate and possess up to four mature cannabis plants and up to four immature cannabis plants. Medical cannabis may only be home cultivated at the residence of the authorized home cultivator that is on file with the commission,” the bill says.

“A patient may change the designated home cultivator upon providing 10 days’ notice to the commission,” it says. “Any plants that are not transferred to the new home cultivator are to be promptly surrendered to law enforcement for destruction.”

“The commission will be required to promptly update the registry information for the patient and any affected designated caregiver upon receiving notice of the patient’s intent….,” the bill added.

“Any designated caregiver of a patient who elects to home cultivate medical cannabis will be authorized to possess, transport, and assist the patient…,” it says.

The bill does have a few penalties.

“Any individual in possession of home-cultivated medical cannabis … who sells, donates, or furnishes the home-cultivated medical cannabis… will be liable to a civil penalty of up to $1,000,” it says.

“It is the sponsor’s intent to expand access to medical cannabis for registered qualifying patients who may find the medical cannabis that is available through a medical cannabis dispensary unaffordable. Or who may otherwise benefit from the convenience of home cultivation. Or the ability to readily access medical cannabis

in the strain and form appropriate to the patient…,” the bill notes.

Statewide Bipartisan Support for Legal Homegrow

Longtime homegrow champions Senate Majority Whip Vin Gopal (D-11-Monmouth) and Caucus Chair Troy Singleton (D-7-Burlington) reintroduced it in the new session of the legislature.

The statewide bipartisan co-sponsors include NJ Senate Republican Minority Leader Anthony Bucco (R-25-Morris), Robert Singer (R-30-Ocean), Health Committee Chair Joe Vitale (D-19-Middlesex), Nilsa Cruz Perez (D-6-Camden), Declan O’Scanlon (R-13-Monmouth), Patrick Diegnan (D-18-Middlesex), Shirley Turner (D-15-Mercer), Andrew Zwicker (D-16-Somerset), and Gordon Johnson (D-38-Bergen).

Unfortunately, there are no sponsors in the Assembly for the necessary companion bill.

The old medical homegrow bill was sponsored in the Assembly by Oversight Committee Chair Reginald Atkins (D-20-Union) and Verlina Reynolds Jackson (D-15-Mercer) and co-sponsored by Kevin P. Egan (D-17-Middlesex).

Notably, Atkins retired. Unfortunately, turnover makes it difficult when champions lose re-election or retire. Former Assemblymembers Joann Downey and Eric Houghtaling of Monmouth and Tom Giblin of Essex supported it. But they no longer hold seats.

Homegrow advocates have told Heady NJ that Senate President Nick Scutari (D-22-Union) has blocked home growing for years.

He did endorse one plant homegrow legalization last fall on a webinar, which is some progress.

The bill would boost the number of official NJ medical cannabis patients. They’ve gone from around 130,000 to about 50,000.

With regular medicine, the process is simple if you know the sort of Over the Counter (OTC) medicine you need.

Adult-Use Cannabis Homegrow Bill Reintroduced

The new adult-use cannabis homegrow legalization bill was reintroduced as S 2564 by Gopal and Singleton as well.

“Legalizes growing or possessing up to six marijuana plants for personal recreational use, and up to 10 plants for personal medical use, by persons aged 21 or older” is its name.

“This bill would make it legal for a person aged 21 or over to grow and possess certain amounts of marijuana for personal use,” it says.

It “provides that possession of six ounces or less of marijuana, including any adulterants or dilutants, is not subject to any punishment…”

“Under the bill, growing or possessing marijuana plants for personal recreational use or personal medical use by a person aged 21 or older would also not be a crime, offense, act of delinquency, or civil violation of law,” it says.

NJ Senators Diegnan, Turner, and Zwicker are also co-sponsoring the adult-use cannabis homegrow legalization bill.

It was referred to the NJ Senate Judiciary Committee, chaired by Senator Brian Stack (D-33-Hudson). In contrast, the medical cannabis homegrow bill was referred to Vitale’s Health Committee.

NJ Cannabis Homegrow Politics

Ideally, a sympathetic Committee Chair can advance a cause greatly. However, it seems the powers of the NJ Senate President are great and varied.

Homegrow coalition leader Andrea Raible of Middlesex County convinced her hometown Senator Vitale to support the bill.

So, a homegrow advocate is needed from Linden, Clark, Cranford, Fanwood, North Plainfield, Plainfield, Rahway, Roselle Park, Scotch Plains, or Winfield. Scutari those towns.

The new Governor of New Jersey, Mikie Sherrill, re-endorsed homegrow legalization on a CBS news show in October 2025 during the General Election campaign. She did so after endorsing it during the spring Democratic primary.

Notably, former Governor Phil Murphy only said he was “open-minded” during his 2021 re-election campaign.

Few people have been caught growing a small number of cannabis plants. But one man was caught with 1 plant in South Jersey recently.