New Jersey Dispensary Insights

February 3, 2022 Uncategorized

We’ve been contacted about New Jersey dispensary information for quite some time now. Ever since New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) started to accept applications for recreational cannabis businesses on December 15, 2021, ganjapreneurs looking to obtain their slice of the adult-use cannabis market in New Jersey following the vote in 2020.

This month is actually one year since Governor Phil Murphy signed the official documents that legalized marijuana for recreational use and possession for adults 21 years of age and older.

New Jersey dispensary operations are slow to open. But in August, the CRC released some of the first regulations for guiding cultivation, manufacturing, and retail recreational cannabis. Thus, paving a path for the application process.

In this post, we cover some New Jersey dispensary insights that should give you a better idea of what to expect now that adult-use cannabis is legal in New Jersey.

New Jersey Dispensary Insights

What Has The New Jersey CDC Said So Far?

The CRC’s executive director recently spoke about these rules. Here’s what he had to say:

“The rules will help create a market that is competitive, diverse, and puts our core values of equity and safety first,” explained Jeff Brown, the CRC’s executive director. “They will ensure that entrepreneurs have access to the market, especially those who have been negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition; and ensure that consumers and stakeholders can have confidence in safe, well-regulated legal sales.”

At this point, just two types of cannabis licenses are available. These include annual and conditional licenses.

The annual license is essential for someone who needs licensure to operate. This is what most people are applying to receive, and it offers dispensary operators – and other cannabusiness operators – the ability to operate their businesses all year long.

Then there’s the conditional license. These deliver a provisional approach that gives the commission the ability to issue applicants their licenses before identifying a property. The applicants still must work with a municipality to obtain all of the essential approvals and processes needed to continue their cannabis operations long-term.

“The conditional license is meant to give applicants extra time to get all of their ducks in a row. … They then have 120 days to meet the additional requirements for the annual license,” Dianna Houenou, CRC chair, explained.

The CRC began accepting applications on December 15, 2021. These are for cultivators, manufacturers, and testing labs. But the retail applications will start getting accepted on March 15, 2022.

“After that, we will be working on getting regulations done for wholesale, distribution, and delivery licenses. Then, we will be looking at regulations on the consumption side, which are attached to retailers,” Brown highlights.

Are There Any Recreational Dispensaries Open in New Jersey?

At this point, New Jersey has 23 existing medical marijuana dispensaries. The operations that have been in business for a minimum of one year will be allowed to apply for their license to serve patients and adult-use customers under the recent cannabis legislation.

Thus, we expect these medical dispensary operations will become the first to sell to the legal adult-use cannabis market after the transition with the proper documentation and option CRC approval.

The guidance document requests existing medical marijuana dispensaries to provide specific information. This includes their current capacity, how they plan to service their current medical patients, and how they plan to supply the adult-use space. The idea here is to guarantee that cannabis products will still be readily available for medical patients.

New Jersey Dispensary FAQ

Do I need a medical card to buy at a dispensary in New Jersey?

Now that recreational cannabis is legal in New Jersey, consumers do not need a medical card to purchase at a dispensary.

How old do I need to be to buy cannabis in New Jersey?

You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase recreational cannabis and/or marijuana-infused products (MIPs) in New Jersey dispensaries.

Does NJ have medical marijauanas?

New Jersey currently has a medical marijuana program. Thus, medical marijuana cards are available to those who have qualifying conditions.

Are edibles legal in New Jersey?

The CRC released an official summary that states “edible products resembling food are prohibited.” This means they cannot be sold in any dispensaries throughout the state. The ruling explicitly states that cookies and brownies are not allowed.

Closing on New Jersey Dispensary Insights

In the next four weeks, it is expected for New Jersey to have an application process open. This will allow those interested in opening a cannabis business to apply for their license.

Thus, this will be the first time that any opportunity to obtain a legal cannabis business permit is available through state authorities. And this is important because it gives potential dispensary owners a head start in the process. Thus, this should allow them enough time to get their applications together and meet all of the necessary requirements.

As always, we’ll keep you posted on any new developments. And if you have any questions, leave a comment below or feel free to contact us! As for now…

Looking to establish a recreational New Jersey dispensary? Northstar can help!

Contact us now to speak with one of our experts about creating structure within your organization and maintaining compliance with the right financial services.