Weed brownies and THC-infused drinks are coming to dispensaries across New Jersey after the state’s cannabis regulators voted to relax restrictions on edibles Friday, nearly a year and a half after legal recreational marijuana sales started in New Jersey.
When the Cannabis Regulatory Commission first drafted rules in August 2021, it opted not to allow the sale of edibles that resemble food, citing difficulties in regulating kitchen environments. At that time, commissioners approved the sale of only non-perishable edibles, like lozenges and gummies.
But the commission at its Friday meeting proposed new rules that would allow for an expanded group of edibles to be sold in both the recreational and medical markets.
The rules would require products to be made uniformly, staff to receive food safety training, and packages to have nutrition labels and expiration dates.
Edibles are rising in popularity nationally as purchases of flower drop, according to New Frontier Data. Typically, people bought flower on the illegal market since its quality can be weighed through smell and look, while edibles were a riskier purchase. Now, with increased testing and improved labeling in regulated stores, edibles account for nearly a quarter of cannabis purchases nationwide.