Official Site of The State of New Jersey
New Jersey Administrative Code N.J.A.C. 17:30-7.16 requires each license holder to submit a renewal application to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission ("NJ-CRC") annually. The NJ-CRC must receive the renewal application with all required documentation and the required fees pursuant to N.J.A.C. 17:30-7.17 no later than 90 days prior to the expiration of the current cannabis business license. Adult-use operators are required to pay at the time of submission. Medicinal operators will be invoiced separately. If the license(s) issued permitting your entity to operate in the adult-use cannabis market is set to expire in the coming months, you must attend to this matter promptly.
Completion of the Certification attached to this letter, along with any necessary documentation, and upload of the same to the NJ-CRC Licensing Portal at https://nj-crc-public.nls.egov.com/#!/signin will satisfy the licensee’s NJ-CRC regulatory requirement of submitting a renewal application. Payment should also be made through the NJ-CRC Licensing Portal with the submission. A separate Certification (and supporting documentation, as necessary) must be submitted for each license issued to the entity by uploading the Certification and documents to each corresponding license number.
If you have any questions pertaining to this correspondence, please contact your assigned Field Monitor and/or Investigator.
Note: Account information must be brought current in the licensing portal before attempting to renew.
Adult-Use License Renewal Notification
Metrc (Marijuana Enforcement Tracking Reporting Compliance) is New Jersey's seed-to-sale tracking portal.
Maintaining an active business registration in good standing with the New Jersey Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES) is a requirement for receiving and maintaining a cannabis business license. Name changes and ownership changes must be registered with DORES and businesses that have certifications based on ownership must recertify every year, though they may have multi-year certification.
Please note that all name-change applications must also be approved by the NJ-CRC’s Executive Director and all ownership change applications must also be approved the NJ-CRC’s Board prior to effectuating the change.
Businesses that received or that applied for priority designation under a DORES certification as a Minority/Woman Owned and/or Disabled Veteran Owned Business Enterprise are required to maintain that certification for two years from start of operations.
Operators must submit an annual verification statement to attest that there has been no change in the ownership, control, or any other factor of the business affecting eligibility for certification. Failure to submit the attestation before the anniversary date of the certification will result in a lapsed certification and removal from the system that lists certified businesses. Businesses that lose their certification will need to reapply with DORES and from the NJ-CRC if they are already licensed, a delay in review of an application, or removal from priority designation if they are in the application process and cannot recertify.
NJ-CRC utilizes the DORES system to verify that businesses are properly registered and in good standing in New Jersey. If a company name does not appear in the DORES system, its application review cannot be completed. Businesses already licensed and operating with a cannabis business license
To change a company name, follow these steps:
Step 1: Update your business name with the NJ Division of Revenue
To change your business entity name, complete the necessary amendments in the Division of Revenue & Enterprise Services' Business Charter Amendment Service. This service allows you to file certain New Jersey Business Charter amendments online and receive a certificate that confirms your filing has been accepted and added to the public record.
Note: This step is not required for Sole Proprietorships or General Partnership.
Step 2: Submit Form REG-C-L to the NJ Division of Taxation
After completing the business name change, submit Form REG-C-L (Page 37) to the NJ Division of Taxation. You can download the form here.
Note: Make sure you include Form SS-4 from the IRS, which shows your updated business name.
Additional Documentation:
If your business has Diversely Owned Business certification, please submit an updated certification along with your name change request.
As required by the CREAMM Act, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission has established universal symbols to be used on all products containing cannabis (THC) and their packaging. The symbol - along with tamper-proof, opaque, and resealable packaging - is intended to help prevent accidental ingestion and to deter children.
All cannabis products sold in the state of New Jersey must be marked, stamped, or otherwise imprinted prominently with the universal symbol – on each single serving of the product if practical, and all packaging.
Downloadable versions of the symbol for both packaging and product imprint are below. The “Standards” document has guidelines for how the symbols are to appear.
| File Name | |||||
| NJ Cannabis Package Universal Symbol | PNG | JPG | EPS | SVG | |
| NJ Cannabis Product Universal Symbol | PNG | JPG | EPS | N/A | |
| NJ Cannabis Universal Symbol Standards | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
*Reprinted, with permission from ASTM D8441/D8441M-22, © ASTM, https://www.astm.org/d8441_d8441m-22.html.
All cannabis business operators in New Jersey are required to know, understand, and follow the packaging and labeling rules found in N.J.A.C. 17:30-16.2 through 17:30-16.6. These requirements relate to how cannabis and cannabis products are to be packaged and labeled for distribution. These requirements include:
- Being child-resistant
- Displaying the standard New Jersey THC warning symbol
- Having the mandatory health warning
- Including specific product information
Adherence to these rules reduces the risks for accidental or overconsumption, reduces the appeal of cannabis products to minors, and helps consumers be informed consumers.
View or download the full Packaging and Labeling Guide.
View or download the NJ-CRC Packaging and Labeling Guide Addendum.
The Edibles Guidance has been crafted to provide instruction to Alternative Treatment Centers, personal-use cannabis Class 2 Manufacturers, and personal-use cannabis Class 5 Retailers on manufacturing and dispensing ingestible cannabis products. They are meant to supplement the Personal Use Cannabis Rules (N.J.A.C. 17:30) and those for Medical Marijuana (N.J.A.C. 17:30A), and are provided pursuant to Commission action on September 8, 2023 to approve waivers to allow the manufacturing and dispensing of additional ingestible products in the medicinal and personal-use cannabis industries.
Prospective employees of a cannabis business must register with the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission to obtain a Cannabis Business Identification card (or Employee Identification (ID) card). This card is required by NJ-CRC rules for all cannabis business employees accessing business premises or handling cannabis on behalf of the license holder. Employees must have their NJ-CRC issued Employee ID card before starting their first day of employment.
The process for getting an Employee ID card involves both the prospective employee and the hiring company.
Steps for the hiring operator
The cannabis business license holder is responsible for applying for the Employee ID card by creating an Agent Job Letter in the NJ-CRC licensing portal. Only currently licensed cannabis businesses in good standing with an active license are allowed to issue an Agent Job Letter to an individual.
Navigate to the Agent Job Letter application in the licensing system and select and hit “Create Application.” Complete one form for each individual, for each business license. Make sure that a personal email address is used for the individual to whom you are issuing a Job Offer Letter. This will allow the individual to access the Job Offer Letter in the system. Finally, submit the application.
Pay careful attention to getting the name, date of birth, and SSN of your new hire correctly. If there is any error in these fields, the individual may not be able to access the electronic authorization letter when applying for the Employee ID.
There is no fee associated with creating the Agent Job Offer Letter.
Steps for the prospective employee
Individuals must apply for the Employee ID card for each licensed business with which they are seeking employment. After they have been notified that an Agent Job Offer letter has been created, prospective employees must create their own account in NJ-CRC's licensing portal as an “Individual” using a personal email address. Only one account can be created per person.
After creating an account, the employee should select the relevant Offer Letter, and pay the $25 fee for the card. After the application and the payment are submitted, applying individuals must wait to hear from the hiring company. The NJ-CRC will not be able to provide any employment or onboarding updates, and applicants should contact the hiring manager for updates. The NJ-CRC will only communicate about Employee ID card status with the businesses.
If an individual is going to be employed to more than one cannabis business, they must apply for each separately and have fingerprints completed for each entity.
To secure an Employee ID card, the employee must meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 21 years old.
- Complete a training course approved by the NJ-CRC, covering topics such as the history of cannabis, cultivation techniques, chemotypes, packaging, health education, and relevant laws.
- Undergo a criminal history background check without any disqualifying convictions. Note, a conviction is not necessarily a disqualification.
The documents needed for the Employee ID card application include:
- A copy of the employee's driver's license or other valid photo identification issued by a state or the federal government.
- Proof of a criminal record background check, including rehabilitation evidence for individuals with disqualifying convictions.
Once received, the card is valid for one year from the date of issuance.
The Employee ID card only authorizes the specified work described in the application for the cardholder. For example, if the employee is authorized to handle cannabis cultivation but not distribution, the cardholder is only allowed to participate in cultivation activities.
The information the card displays:
- Employee's name.
- The name of the cannabis business or testing laboratory.
- Dates of issuance and expiration.
- A photograph of the employee.
The NJ-CRC can revoke, suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew an Employee ID card if the cardholder violates the law, provides false information, or refuses to cooperate in investigations.
Download the agent job letters and cannabis IDs application guide.
NJ-CRC Workplace Impairment Guidance
Workplace Impairment Observation Report Form (Sample)
Other resources related to cannabis and employment:
- N.J.S.A. C.24:6I-6.1, of the Jake Honig Act
- Wild v Carriage Funeral Holdings, Inc., 2020 New Jersey Supreme Court case
It is always best to seek the advice of counsel for all legal matters.
