The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) approved six additional adult-use cannabis retailers at its May 24 meeting, allowing more dispensaries to join the 13 that were given the green light to open when sales officially launched April 21.
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With this latest regulatory approval, adult-use sales are expected to launch at Curaleaf’s Edgewater Park location; Ayr Wellness’ locations in North Woodbridge, Union and Eatontown; TerraAscend’s location in Lodi; and Ascend’s location in Montclair, according to an NJ.com report.
Tuesday’s approval brings the total number of adult-use dispensaries in New Jersey to 18, the news outlet reported.
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Curaleaf announced May 24 that, following the CRC’s approval, it would begin adult-use sales at its Edgewater Park store May 25. This marks Curaleaf’s second operating adult-use dispensary in New Jersey; its Bellmawr store launched adult-use sales April 21.
"After a successful adult-use launch in April, we are thrilled to expand our adult-use footprint allowing us to serve even more New Jersey consumers," Curaleaf CEO Matt Darin said in a public statement. "I'd like to thank the Town of Edgewater Park for their partnership and for so graciously welcoming us into the community. Curaleaf is committed to ensuring patients and consumers receive quality products and service as they embark on their cannabis journey."
Curaleaf plans to implement measures to prioritize medical cannabis patients through the use of private consultation areas, an online ordering system, and exclusive checkout lines and designated parking spots, according to a company press release. The Edgewater Park dispensary will also offer two medical-only shopping hours per day.
Rob Vanisko, a spokesman for Ayr Wellness, told NJ.com that the company does not yet have a definitive date to launch adult-use sales, but that “dispensaries approved on April 11 officially opened for adult-use on April 21, so we are hopeful for a timeline in that range.”
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“We’re thrilled about our approvals in today’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission meeting, including expanded cultivation capacity and conversion of our three dispensaries to adult-use sales,” Vanisko told the news outlet. “Central Jersey has been under-served during the initial launch of adult-use cannabis, with only two dispensaries serving a population of 3.4 million people up until now.”
The CRC also approved an additional 46 conditional adult-use licenses for smaller cultivators and manufacturers, allowing them to start building out their facilities and growing crops, according to NJ.com.
The newly approved cultivation and manufacturing facilities brings the total to 148, the news outlet reported, but it could take up to a year for the businesses to be fully operational.
Also at its May 24 meeting, the CRC approved a second cultivation site for Columbia Care in Vineland, as well as four adult-use testing labs, according to NJ.com.
Regulators also voted Tuesday to eliminate a requirement that medical cannabis operations that received licenses in 2019 must operate for a minimum of one year in the medical market before applying to transition to adult-use, the news outlet reported.