In our spotlight on Business Report tonight, protecting patient access to medical marijuana.

The State Cannabis Regulatory Commission is kicking off a series of in-person clinics across New Jersey to help patients and caregivers sign up or renew their enrollment with the medicinal cannabis program, holding events in Newark, Trenton and Atlantic City.

It all comes as the number of medical marijuana patients has been declining while recreational numbers go up.

Senior correspondent Joanna Gagis has the story.

You have exclusive parking.

You also have exclusive lines, faster lines or faster service.

And you also have the benefit of no state taxes for medical purchases.

Those are just some of the benefits of having a medical cannabis card with the Cannabis Regulatory Commission or CRC.

Cardholders also have access to all medical dispensaries in the state and can purchase three times more cannabis per month than recreational users.

Folks can register in person as long as they have a qualifying condition and a prescription.

They can get their cards here.

They can also renew.

Caregivers can come and also be enrolled into our system, and they can leave today with a $10 physical card or a free digital card.

These in-person registration clinics started last year as a trial, and the CRC found many who either prefer to be in-person or who struggle with the technology of applying or renewing online.

People like Butch Tolle, a disabled combat veteran.

I can't upload my information to renew my medical marijuana card.

That's what I came here today to renew it.

I couldn't do it online.

I had a problem uploading my ID as quick, easy, fast.

Great.

They're seniors or folks with disabilities who are differently abled that can't just they can't get across the finish line when it comes to completing their registration, even though we have an excellent customer service team that is very patient and talks with folks on the phone.

They still let us know that they want to come in person.

Mike White says the CRC is looking to continue these in-person clinics to expand its reach with the medical marijuana program patients.

But they also want to expand with physicians.

We want to continue to expand our medical practitioners that are enrolled into this service, that really center patient access and believe in the health benefits of the cannabis plant.

But issues that we are finding, barriers that we are finding are of the high fees that doctors are charging in order to see patients to get into the medical cannabis industry.

Ken Wolski points to the fact that only about 1500 of the state's 28,000 doctors are currently participating in the program as one of the reasons for those high costs.

It's not that patients are not getting access to their medicine, they are getting access to the medicine, but they find that it's less expensive for them to go to the adult use program where they don't have to pay the physician fees to join the program and to get access to the medicine.

Is there a concern that perhaps physicians are taking advantage of this moment and the need?

Absolutely.

I believe that physicians are taking advantage of this program.

Physicians often charge up to $200 and they require cash payments for these for these visits.

And and the original intent of the medical marijuana legislation was that physicians would simply certify that a patient has a qualifying condition, and that's all they had to do, not that they had to keep seeing them routinely, periodically and charge fees for them to be continue with involvement in the medical marijuana program.

I think it's too expensive and that's why the black market is still in effect today, because you can buy product for half the price on the black market that the state's charging for it.

So the prices are way too high.

How much are you spending a month?

It depends on how much you buy.

A month is that simple.

So I mean, you could spend a couple hundred dollars a month or you could spend much more.

But for all those who do want to get their cannabis legally and through the medical cannabis program, more in-person clinics will be held quarterly in Newark, Trenton and Atlantic City.

In Trenton, I'm Joanna Gagis, NJ Spotlight News.