The two applicants are linked to larger parent companies.
MPX Bioceutical Corp. operates medical and recreational marijuana businesses in the United States and Canada, according to its website.
“We are pleased to announce that New Jersey Department of Health has approved MPX New Jersey LLC’s application to proceed with the permitting process toward the goal of operating a vertically integrated Alternative Treatment Center in the Southern Region of New Jersey,” Beth Stavola, chief operating officer at MPX Bioceutical, said in a statement. “As a woman-owned business, MPX New Jersey is proud to have the highest composite score out of all 146 applications submitted in this round, and we are excited to expand access to the state’s medical marijuana program to the patients who need it.”
Columbia Care is a medical marijuana health care company with locations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico.
"Being given the opportunity to strengthen the health and economic vitality of the Vineland community, while addressing unmet medical needs of patients throughout New Jersey, is part and parcel with the mission and purpose of our organization and reaffirms our position as the dominant national medical cannabis operator in highly selective, highly regulated jurisdictions," Nicholas Vita, chief executive officer of Columbia Care, said in a statement.