Under N.J.A.C. 17:30-9.15, New Jersey cannabis businesses may transport cannabis securely themselves or use a licensed cannabis distributor. The rule addresses secure cargo, GPS, climate-control capability, insurance, unmarked vehicles, qualified staff, direct routing, transport documentation, and a written or electronic record of each transport.
Start with the rule, not the software
New Jersey’s secure-transport rule is unusually concrete. It addresses the vehicle, the person driving it, the route, the record created for the trip, and the signature confirming receipt. That means transport compliance is operational: it has to happen while the load is moving, not after someone remembers to update a spreadsheet.
Flower Freight is built around that operational reality. It does not replace Metrc or the NJ-CRC’s rules. It creates a transport execution record around the regulated transfer so the evidence from the physical run is easier to retrieve.
What the vehicle and driver have to support
The rule calls for a secure lockbox or cargo area, active GPS capable of identifying the delivery vehicle’s location, appropriate heating and air conditioning, current hired and non-owned auto liability coverage of at least $1,000,000, and a vehicle that does not advertise that it is transporting cannabis.
During transport, at least one cannabis business staff member must be in the vehicle. The rule also addresses secure communication, Cannabis Business Identification Cards, a valid non-probationary driver’s license appropriate to the vehicle, and maintaining a copy of the transport request.
The record is where operations become evidence
For each transport, the business must maintain a written or electronic record that includes the beginning and ending date/time, the transporting staff member’s identifying information and signature, the weight moved, batch or lot details, and the receiving business staff member’s signature attesting to receipt.
That is why a modern transport workflow should connect package verification, trip timestamps, driver and vehicle identity, route history, receiver acceptance, and the final record rather than forcing compliance teams to assemble those pieces later.
Build for retrieval, not memory
A compliant trip that cannot be reconstructed quickly becomes an expensive internal investigation. Operators should test their process by choosing an old run and asking whether a single person can retrieve the transport request, shipment details, driver, vehicle, route evidence, and receiving proof in minutes.
That is the core Flower Freight proposition: make the transport record a by-product of doing the job correctly, not a separate administrative project after the truck returns.
Frequently asked questions
Can a New Jersey cannabis business transport its own cannabis?
Yes. N.J.A.C. 17:30-9.15(a) says a cannabis business may securely transport cannabis items to another cannabis business premises, or use a licensed cannabis distributor.
Does New Jersey require GPS for cannabis transport?
The secure-transport rule requires a GPS device for identifying the geographic location of the delivery vehicle and requires the originator or distributor to be able to identify vehicle locations and provide that information to the Commission on request.
Does Flower Freight replace Metrc?
No. Flower Freight is designed to work alongside Metrc by tying the regulated transfer/package context to the operational transport evidence created during the run.
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