The state Department of Health said it has issued final permits to Zen Leaf Elizabeth and Columbia Care in Vineland to begin dispensing marijuana. That brings the state total to 11 dispensaries.
Zen Leaf, operated by Verano NJ, will open its doors Friday in Elizabeth. Columbia Care plans to open in early June. Both received licenses to grow, process and dispense medical marijuana during a licensing round in 2018.
They join the nine dispensaries serving more than 77,000 patients across the state. While long drives and lines, as well as product shortages, have plagued the program for years, the coronavirus outbreak exacerbated the issues in late March. Some patients reported waiting hours in line only to find the dispensaries had run out of certain products.