New Jersey Bill to Revise Hemp Beverage Rules and Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licensing Advances Through Two Committees
- The New Jersey Assembly advanced Bill 5051, aimed at revising state regulations on hemp, intoxicating hemp beverages, and medical marijuana dispensaries, with a companion Senate bill filed concurrently.
- The bill extends deadlines related to hemp material possession and intoxicating hemp beverage THC limits from May 31 to November 13, 2026, and updates packaging and THC serving size rules for intoxicating hemp beverages.
- It allows a 10% margin of error in cannabinoid lab test results and modifies retail rules by removing restrictions on display access while requiring age verification and product separation from alcohol.
- For medical marijuana dispensaries, the bill streamlines licensing by waiving additional municipal reviews for co-located adult-use retail licenses and prevents municipalities from blocking adult-use sales by existing compliant dispensaries.
A New Jersey bill that would revise the state’s rules for hemp, intoxicating hemp beverages and medical marijuana dispensaries advanced through two Assembly committees on May 14, the same day a companion measure was filed in the Senate.
Assembly Bill 5051 was reported out of the Assembly Oversight, Reform and Federal Relations Committee with amendments in a 5 to 1 vote, before being advanced by the Assembly Appropriations Committee in a 9 to 4 vote, with two members not voting. The measure is now on second reading in the Assembly.
The proposal was filed by Assemblymember Robert Karabinchak (D) and Assemblymember Annette Quijano (D). A companion bill, Senate Bill 4297, was introduced May 14 and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Under current law, hemp producers may possess or transport certain in-process hemp material above the state’s 0.3% THC limit only until May 31, while intoxicating hemp beverages are set to be capped at five milligrams of THC per serving and 10 milligrams per container beginning that same date. Under the bill, those May 31 deadlines would be extended to November 13, 2026. The measure would also replace the current 10-milligram-per-container limit by allowing intoxicating hemp beverages to be sold in either cans containing no more than five milligrams of THC per serving or 10 milligrams per can, or resealable 750-milliliter bottles containing 40 servings of five milligrams each, with no more than 200 milligrams per bottle.
The bill would allow a 10% margin of error in cannabinoid concentration for required laboratory testing results tied to certificates of analysis.
The measure would also remove a requirement that certain alcohol licensees keep intoxicating hemp beverages in areas not accessible to customers without employee assistance. Instead, businesses would be required to keep the products separate from other intoxicating liquors, post notices stating that the beverages are intoxicating hemp products limited to those 21 and older, monitor the display area and confirm age at the point of sale.
The November 13, 2026 deadline ending intoxicating hemp beverage sales by alcohol licensees would remain in place.
On the medical marijuana side, the bill would allow a medical marijuana dispensary applying for a co-located Class 5 adult-use retailer license to avoid a separate round of municipal review if the dispensary is located in a municipality that already allows medical marijuana dispensaries.
The legislation would also prevent municipalities from blocking adult-use retail sales by qualifying medical dispensaries that were open and operating lawfully before July 1, 2023, without violations or violation notices, for at least three years before the bill’s enactment.