S 4297 New Jersey Senate · 2026-2027 Regular Session

Revises certain restrictions concerning hemp, intoxicating hemp beverages, and medical cannabis.

This bill updates New Jersey's laws to strictly regulate the sale of hemp products and intoxicating hemp beverages. It prohibits the selling or distribution of viable cannabis seeds with high THC levels, synthetic cannabinoids, and hemp-derived products containing more than 0.3 percent THC or 0.4 milligrams of THC per container. The legislation also bans the online sale of any hemp-derived cannabinoid products and forbids dispensing intoxicating hemp beverages from vending machines. While these restrictions apply to most sales, the law includes a temporary exception allowing authorized hemp producers to transport certain intermediate products for processing until November 13, 2026. Violations of these rules are subject to criminal penalties for marijuana offenses and additional civil fines ranging from $100 to $10,000 depending on the severity and frequency of the infraction.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

May 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced May 14, 2026 Last action May 28, 2026

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What changed between versions

Introduced → Reprint · 3 edits

MINOR

This is a First Reprint of New Jersey Senate Bill S4297 as reported by the Senate Judiciary Committee on May 21, 2026. The main substantive change removes the per-serving THC limit for canned intoxicating hemp beverages, leaving only a flat 10-milligram-per-can cap. A minor wording adjustment was made to the medical cannabis dispensary co-location provision, and the explanatory statement section was removed as is standard for reprint versions.

REQUIREMENT

The container specification for canned intoxicating hemp beverages no longer includes a per-serving limit of 5 milligrams of total THC. The requirement is now simply 'not more than 10 milligrams of total tetrahydrocannabinol per can,' removing the dual per-serving and per-can structure.

ELIGIBILITY

In the medical cannabis dispensary co-location provision, the phrase 'to lawfully operate on the premises' was shortened to just 'on the premises' when describing prior municipal approval that is deemed to authorize a Class 5 Cannabis Retailer license. This slightly broadens what counts as qualifying prior municipal approval.

TECHNICAL

The full explanatory statement section (which described the bill's changes to hemp, intoxicating hemp beverages, and medical cannabis provisions) was removed from the text, consistent with standard legislative practice when a bill is reprinted after committee action.

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Committee

May 14, 2026

Introduced

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Judiciary Committee

upper

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors