New Jersey Medical Cannabis Patients Can Now Use Telehealth

In a landmark move for cannabis access through telehealth services nationwide, New Jersey residents can now get approved for medical cannabis and other controlled substances in digital visits due to the restrictions placed on healthcare by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthcare professionals can now set up virtual appointments in order to prescribe medical cannabis to patients, or other controlled substances such as painkillers. 

On these videos, as specified by state law, providers must discuss both risks and benefits of opiates and alternatives, give all necessary information about medical cannabis, check in with the Prescription Monitoring Program for anything they prescribe, and only give out a five-day supply for acute pain diagnoses when opiates are concerned. In short, doctors will be held to the same standards they have to answer to when prescribing to patients in person.