“If you don’t get these licenses out the door faster, they’re just going out there selling more product on the street, on the black market. That’s what I’m seeing out there,” said Committee Chair Sen. Brian Stack (D-Hudson).
Republicans concurred. “I will be honest — what you’ve said doesn’t match what we’re hearing from constituents: that there’s a lack of transparency; big corporations get priority; process takes too long,” Sen. Kristin Corrado (R-Bergen) commented.
“I agree pricing is too high in the legal market. If we can license more business and expand retail outlets – -that’s the best way the CRC can impact illegal sales and convert consumers to the legal market,” said CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown. CRC officials insisted building this new industry takes time — that they’ve at least conditionally approved 1,300 of the initial 2,000 overall license applications — and collected $9.5 million in tax revenues. They assured senators efficiency is improving. But one entrepreneur charged some applicants have waited more than 540 days for license approval. Brown told the senators, “If there was outdoor cultivation in New Jersey the price would drop by prob 50 percent — as soon as those cultivators come online. Unfortunately, all cultivation in New Jersey now is indoor. When I talk to patients — they do want sun and soil-grown cannabis.”