EDITOR’S NOTE: The billion-dollar medical marijuana, hemp and legal weed industries offer an economic opportunity unrivaled in modern N.J. history. NJ Cannabis Insider features exclusive, premium content for those interested in getting in on the ground floor or expanding their operation. View a sample issue.

Beginning Thursday, some of the key elements of New Jersey’s newly expanded medicinal marijuana law take effect, and that should help patients save money and buy more cannabis each month if their doctors recommend it.

Assistant Health Commissioner Jeff Brown alerted patients and physicians registered with the program by email Wednesday that the law Gov. Phil Murphy signed July 2 allows patients to buy up to three ounces of dried flower every month, instead of the two ounce limit set in the original 2010 law.

Increasing the monthly purchase amount fulfills a request made by the family of Jake Honig of Howell, a 7-year-old boy with cancer who would run out of homemade cannabis oil mid-month, which allowed the waves of nausea and pain to return. The new law was named for Jake, who died last year.

The requirement that patients see their doctor every three months to reaffirm their eligibility in the program also comes to an end on Thursday, Brown announced.

Many patients have complained the program is too expensive, between the steep price of cannabis — an average of about $500 an ounce — and the quarterly doctor’s visits. Neither the medicine nor the appointments is covered by insurance. Patients with serious or incurable illnesses viewed the numerous trips to the doctor as an cynical money grab.

“Prior to the change in law, physicians were required to see patients every 90 days and patients were limited in a maximum of 2 ounces per month — a restriction that was overly burdensome on patients,” Brown wrote in an email to registered patients and physicians participating in the program.

“It will be up to the physician to decide, like any prescription drug,” Brown said in an interview. “We are hoping physicians use their best clinical judgment and make the best call for patients.”

Patients diagnosed with terminal diseases have been permitted since the law was signed two weeks ago to purchase as much cannabis as they need, Brown said. So far, 20 of these patients have availed themselves to a larger amount, he said.

Only a fraction of patients have purchased the full two ounces each month, usually because they cannot afford the $1,000 tab, Brown said.

In the past week, the number of registered patients reached the 50,000 mark, according to state Health Department data. With only six alternative treatment centers growing and selling, supply shortages have been a recurring problem. But the ATCs are doing better maintaining a steady supply, Brown said.

“We have been looking at inventory and it’s been increasing,” he said. “The ATC’s have been making good progress.”

Further expansion is expected to take shape over the coming months. The health department awarded six new licenses in December, and is currently seeking applicants for up to 24 new medical marijuana businesses this year.

NJ Advance Media staff writer Payton Guion contributed to this report.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips