February 20, 2025
New Jersey Homegrow Coalition
Working to legalize personal cannabis cultivation in the Garden State
Contact: Andrea Raible or Kristen Geodde njhgc420(at)gmail.com
Community and industry leaders grow effort for NJ cannabis home cultivation
Trenton - Advocates and small business owners in New Jersey are celebrating the fourth anniversary of adult-use cannabis legalization with a rejuvenated effort to allow personal cultivation.
During the 2020 election nearly 2.8 million voters approved a constitutional amendment allowing retail cannabis sales to adults. NJ’s flight of modern cannabis reform laws were signed on February 22, 2021.
Sales began in April of 2022 and crested $1 billion annually in 2024. Ironically, the Garden State still prohibits sprouting a few seeds at home.
“Even with our growing industry there’s no hope of access to the clean, consistent, strain-specific medicine that I need for my epilepsy. Politicians are concerned with adult use profits while we are concerned with life threatening health conditions and facing prison for plants,” said Andrea Raible, an unregistered medical patient and cofounder of the NJ Homegrow Coalition.
Police are indeed spending the time, effort, and expense targeting peaceful gardeners. Even a single plant can result in serious charges.
“I spent seven years in prison for cultivating cannabis, something that is now a billion-dollar industry in New Jersey. It’s unacceptable that patients and consumers are still denied the right to grow a few plants for personal use,” said Mario Ramos, @ibudyouny influencer and ConBud co-owner.
Originally, NJ’s cannabis bills included provisions for home gardens, limited to six plants. However, the language was excluded from the final versions of the laws.
“We've avoided nearly 150,000 cannabis-related arrests in New Jersey since 2021. That is a huge win for justice,” said Chris Goldstein, an organizer for NORML, “There is no logical reason to keep arresting people for growing a few cannabis plants at home.”
Last year more than 50 regulated cannabis businesses and advocacy groups formed the NJ Homegrow Coalition to focus on advancing the issue.
NJHGC members signed an open letter to legislators saying: “We firmly support the immediate legalization of medical home cultivation for patients and caregivers. We also endorse additional legislation to be introduced that allows for the legalization of personal use home cultivation safely and equitably.”
Senator Troy Singleton (D-7) has sponsored legislation for several sessions - S1393 - that would allow registered patients to keep a small garden. The bill is a key first step and has strong, bipartisan support.
“We know that cannabis has the potential to treat a vast range of health conditions. Unfortunately, because the product has to be paid for entirely out of pocket, and due to the high cost of this medicine, it is rarely a feasible long-term option for low-income patients. I remain hopeful that New Jersey will eventually authorize home grow, so that cannabis can be accessible to all potential medical users, regardless of income,” said Sen. Singleton.
So far, former NJ Senate President Steve Sweeney, current Senate President Nick Scutari, and Governor Phil Murphy have blocked legislative homegrow efforts, prioritizing sales instead.
“While today’s legal cannabis market offers a variety of options, most available products would directly worsen the symptoms I’m trying to manage,” said Sam Reichbart, a registered patient.
“Disabled veterans shouldn’t go to prison for one cannabis plant. Home grow rights are human rights,” said wheelchair access activist Lefty Grimes, co-founder of the nonprofit Sativa Cross.
Some of the candidates running for NJ Governor in 2025 have gone on record supporting cultivation.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka told Jelani Gibson at NJ Cannabis Insider, "As for renters versus homeowners, cannabis shouldn’t be treated any differently than other restrictions on indoor or outdoor gardening, so long as it’s not commercial and is not in a public space where minors would have access."
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop told Gibson, "I would be fully supportive of allowing home cultivation of cannabis for personal recreational and medical use with some common sense guardrails in place to prevent unregulated commercial activities and to protect quality of life."
Advocates and leaders in NJ’s local cannabis industry have been speaking up with greater urgency.
– “Our unwavering support for medical home cultivation emanates from a profound belief in breaking down barriers to access,” said Matha Figaro, owner of CannPowerment.
– “Not only can clean cannabis be grown by an individual at home, but our law allows for consumers to get rigorous lab testing performed if they choose,” said Kristen Goedde owner of Trichome Analytical.
– “Home cannabis cultivation should be a standard option for all medical patients. It provides access to personalized treatment options, affordable plant medicine, and accessible quantities,” said Angela Speakman owner of Elucidation Strategies.
.– “We need to offer patients the opportunity to grow their own strains because the industry is not yet providing adequate or affordable options for all the potential forms of medical usage of the plant,” said Shayla Cabrera, the owner of TiaPlanta.
– “For too long, patients—especially veterans—have been forced to navigate a broken system that prioritizes profit over patient care.That is why we fully support home cultivation and demand an end to the unjust arrest of patients who grow their own medicine,” said Jennifer Bailey, Founder & CEO of Homegrown4Heroes, Inc.
– “The United Food and Commercial Workers union supports the legalization of home grow in New Jersey. Cannabis is not truly legal until all people have the right to grow their own medicine. This is a working class issue,” said Mike Burry, UFCW 360.
–“Home cultivation empowers patients to take charge of their own healthcare, to grow their own medicine for pennies, and to have reliable access to the specific strains that best help their medical conditions,” said Ken Wolski RN, Executive Director of CMMNJ.
– “Affordable health care is a patient’s right and home grow will help ensure that right is met for those who choose cannabis,” said former Republican Assemblyman Scott Rudder, President of the NJCannaBusiness Association and owner of Township Green dispensary.
— "New Jersey’s cannabis legalization was a victory, but the failure to allow home cultivation remains a glaring injustice. We urge health care providers and residents to demand that our legislators finally correct this oversight," said Dr. David Nathan, a Princeton-based psychiatrist and co-founder of Doctors for Drug Policy Reform.
– “Prohibiting medical homegrow is an unnecessary hardship for everyday New Jerseyans. This would allow opportunities for further research into medical cannabis which begins at a doctor-patient relationship level,” said Yasir Ahmad from Early Dew Seeds.
– “Home cultivation is the only way in which users can 100% guarantee that they are safe from unwanted pathogens, chemical inputs, carcinogens, pesticides, and radiation treatment that may lead to detrimental health effects,” said Joel Perkins from Valley of Fire and HomeGrown4Heroes.
– “NJ has let medical cannabis patients down by not permitting limited medical homegrow like other states have done successfully. Personal cultivation would not compete with legitimate businesses properly registered at the state and local level,” said William Caruso from Archer & Greiner and cofounder of NJ United for Marijuana Reform.
The New Jersey Homegrow Coalition is planning a series of citizen lobbying days in Trenton and education events for the public throughout the year.
Contact: Andrea Raible or Kristen Geodde njhgc420(at)gmail.com
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