New Jersey Bill Would Allow People to Voluntarily Bar Themselves from Cannabis Dispensaries

A bill proposed in New Jersey would create a program to allow individuals to voluntarily prohibit themselves from buying cannabis at licensed dispensaries, NJBiz reports. Under the measure, people would be able to add or remove themselves from a self-exclusion list and would direct the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) to create guidance to remove self-excluded people from cannabis advertising and promotions. 

State Sen. Vincent Polistina (R), the bill sponsor, told NJBiz that the law could help people in recovery from drugs from relapsing.   

“From working with some of the organizations down here that are dealing with an increase in substance abuse issues and dependence issues, they thought this could be a measure that could potentially help people that go through recovery and don’t want to relapse. This would give them the ability to voluntarily get themselves on a list that would prevent them from going into dispensaries.” — Polistina to NJ BIZ 

Under the proposal, there are no consequences for dispensaries that do not cross-reference the list and sell to someone on the list. 

The state has a similar list for the state’s casinos, a registry which over the past 11 years has grown from 1,061 people to 29,256, the report says. Under that law, casinos are fined for allowing people on the self-exclusion list to gamble.  

The bill is currently in the Senate Judiciary Committee.