Dozens of small cannabis businesses and advocacy groups in New Jersey are demanding a change in state law to allow adults to grow their own marijuana at home. But their calls are clashing with resistance from Governor Phil Murphy and key legislative leaders who argue the move could disrupt the state’s still-developing legal cannabis market.
With Murphy’s term coming to an end, activists are also scrutinizing where potential successors stand on the issue, hoping for a shift in policy.
Home Grow Advocates Push Back Against Market Concerns
More than 50 businesses and advocates, operating under the New Jersey Home Grow Coalition, have signed an open letter to Senate President Nicholas Scutari, challenging the claim that the legal industry needs more time before home cultivation can be permitted.
New Jersey stands apart from most other states that have legalized marijuana by continuing to prohibit personal cultivation, even for medical patients. Advocates say this is causing unnecessary hardship.
Andrea Raible, co-founder of the coalition, has epilepsy and relies on specific cannabis strains for treatment. “Even with our growing industry, there’s no hope of access to the clean, consistent, strain-specific medicine that I need,” she said. “Politicians are focused on profits, while we are worried about life-threatening health conditions and facing prison for plants.”
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Lawmakers Hesitate, Citing Industry Growth
Scutari has been a key force in New Jersey’s cannabis reform, but he has been reluctant to embrace home cultivation. He argues that the state should first focus on strengthening its legal market before expanding access further.
However, the Home Grow Coalition argues that home cultivation—particularly for medical patients—would not hurt the industry. “The legalization of medical home cultivation will not negatively impact the legal state cannabis industry,” their letter states.
The group is calling for immediate legalization of home cultivation for patients and caregivers and supports further legislation to allow personal cultivation for recreational use.
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Proposed Changes Aim to Balance Access and Regulation
Advocates want to amend pending legislation to replace strict plant limits with a more flexible approach. Instead of a set number of plants, they propose allowing patients and caregivers to cultivate up to 100 square feet of mature cannabis plants.
This approach, they argue, would:
- Give patients more control over the specific strains they need for medical conditions.
- Reduce the risk of large-scale illegal grows by limiting cultivation space rather than plant count.
- Allow for better long-term sustainability for medical patients and caregivers.
Murphy’s Successor Could Decide the Future of Home Grow
With Murphy on his way out, activists are paying close attention to who will lead New Jersey next. So far, home cultivation has not been a priority for top candidates, but pressure is building.
Supporters argue that keeping home grow illegal contradicts the spirit of cannabis legalization and disproportionately impacts medical patients. Whether lawmakers take action before the next administration takes office remains to be seen.
