Though New Jerseyans voted to officially legalization recreational marijuana sales during the November 2020 elections, the state’s established Cannabis Regulatory Commission had to create a clear roadmap for the first legal sales. Earlier this week, seven companies and 13 medical-marijuana dispensaries were approved, with many being up & operating by Thursday, April 21. A few will open at a later date.
Recreational cannabis customers can buy “up to 1 ounce of dried flower or up to 5 grams of concentrates, resins, or oils, or 10 100mg packages of ingestible items in a single transaction.”
You can find the fill list of open dispensaries on the Commission’s webpage here, or below:
Dispensary locations in North Jersey:
Apothecarium, 1865 Springfield, Avenue, Maplewood
Apothecarium, 55 South Main Street, Phillipsburg
Ascend Wellness, 174 Route 17 North, Rochelle Park
RISE, 26-48 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield
RISE, 196 3rd Avenue, #3C, Paterson
Dispensary locations in Central Jersey:
Zen Leaf, 117 Sprint Street, Elizabeth
Zen Leaf, 3256 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence Township
Dispensary locations in South Jersey:
The Botanist, 100 Century Drive, Egg Harbor Township
The Botanist, 2090 N Blackhorse Pike, Williamstown
The Cannabist/Columbia Care, 1692 Clements Bridge Road, Deptford – 5 PM Open for recreational
The Cannabist/Columbia Care, 1062 North Delsea Drive, Vineland – 5 PM Open for recreational
Curaleaf, 640 Creek Road, Bellmawr
Curaleaf, 4237 US-130 South, Edgewater Park
Starting on April 21st, adults ages 21+ will be able to legally purchase cannabis and cannabis products without a medical card.
This is a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry. Learn more: https://t.co/MsSRlUBPZ8.
— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) April 14, 2022
The Commission acknowledged they expect long lines at these businesses, most of which were previously only serving those in the Medicinal Cannabis Program. Now that these businesses will be open to the public, there are rules in place to make sure patients are still a top priority and will be able to get their medication in a timely manner.
“We expect 13 locations for the entire state will make for extremely busy stores,” said Jeff Brown, executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission. “The dispensaries have assured us that they are ready to meet the demand without disrupting patient access, and with minimal impact on the surrounding communities, but patience will be key to a good opening day.”
They also remind guests from neighboring states that it is illegal to transport cannabis across state lines, and share the following rules along with the announcement:
Reminders for cannabis consumers
- Do: Be patient – expect long lines and wait your turn to be served.
- Do: Start low and go slow – follow product instructions and remember ingestible products can take longer to take effect than smoking or vaping. Call NJ Poison Center at 800-222-1222 if you are concerned you may have ingested or used too much.
- Do: Store your legal cannabis products securely, out of the reach of kids. Legal cannabis products are in child safe packaging, but always keep them secure and out of the reach of anyone under the age of 21.
- Don’t: Drive while high. Driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal and dangerous.
- Don’t: Cross state lines. It is illegal to transport legal cannabis products from New Jersey outside of New Jersey.
- Don’t: Buy more than one ounce. Consumers can’t purchase more than an ounce in a single transaction, and legally cannot possess more than one ounce at any time. Consumers could face criminal penalties if they disregard these limits.
- Do: Be safe, be smart, follow the rules.