Fourteen businesses that applied for medical cannabis licenses in 2019 have finally been awarded them by the state.
Half of the 14 are in Central Jersey, the area determined by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission to have the greatest need relative to current demand. Ten are exclusively growers, while four are being granted licenses as “vertically integrated” operations that grow, process, and sell at new dispensaries.
With the four new dispensaries, there would be 27 in New Jersey, though it will likely take 12 to 18 months for the new businesses to become fully operational.
When the state first requested applications in 2019, it planned on five licenses for medical cannabis growers but approved 10 instead. CRC executive director Jeff Brown said they include five in Central Jersey, three in the north, and two in the south.
“Over two years have passed since we set out on this journey, and the patient population looks dramatically different than it did then,” Brown said. “Enrollment shows no signs of abating, and we plan to continue to reduce regulatory barriers. We need to address that need now.”
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