Those signing up must be recommended by one of 150 doctors who are participating in the program. Marijuana is only available to patients with a handful of conditions, including glaucoma, multiple sclerosis and terminal cancer.
A registration card good for two years costs $200. Patients on public assistance programs will pay $20.
The state's first legal dispensary, Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair, is growing its first crop and expects to open sometime in September.
Patients can get information about registration online .
No patients have obtained legal cannabis since New Jersey's medical marijuana law was signed in January 2010.
