NJDOH Regulations
Regulations will be proposed by the newly created Cannabis Regulatory Commission, which will operate independently of the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH has been the state regulatory agency overseeing the New Jersey medical marijuana program) once its five members are seated.
Mold, spider mites and air conditioning fluid poured into plants — all three were used to characterize conditions at several medical marijuana providers in complaints that swirled around social media recently.
But state Department of Health officials say the unverified photos are not evidence of widespread issues in the state’s medical marijuana system.
The New Jersey Department of Health is seeking new applicants to operate up to 24 additional Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs): Up to 8 in the northern region of the state, up to 8 in the central region, up to 7 in the southern region, and up to 1 “at-large” to be determined during the award process. Three types of permits/endorsements will be available for ATCs: cultivation, dispensing and vertically integrated permits. In total, the Department will seek up to 5 cultivation endorsements, up to 15 dispensary endorsements, and up to 4 vertically integrated permits.
The site would be on Lakeside Blvd. in the building just vacated by Rays Foods. Which once held a Pharmacy called Westshore 30-years ago, and would mean automatic approval for a Medical Marijuana according to Mayor Francis and Attorney William Haggerty, ESQ.
Attorney William Haggerty confirmed from the census of the Board that this would be a permitted use within a B2 zone. Site plan analysis, including parking and signage, would be required.
Demand for medical marijuana may be booming in New Jersey and the public has overwhelmingly learned to accept that cannabis can provide real medical benefits for certain patients.
But finding an acceptable location to grow and process the drug may still be tricky, even in rural farming communities.
That reality was plain to see Tuesday night when more than a hundred people packed into Springfield’s small municipal building for a planning board hearing on a proposal to develop a medical marijuana cultivation and processing operation off Juliustown Road.
After more than an hour of discussion among members of the public with a range of opinions on the matter, the Borough Council decided not to advance plans for a proposed medical marijuana dispensary within its borders.
With a majority of the nearly two dozen speakers at Wednesday's council meeting opposed to allowing the operation next to the Milk Street Distillery, the council's six voting members voted unanimously for a pair of resolutions that effectively ended any hope of the facility becoming a reality.
The Borough Council will discuss whether to allow a medical marijuana dispensing facility in Branchville at its monthly meeting tonight.
Borough Clerk Kate Leissler stressed that the proposed facility is still in its early stages, so details like the size of the building and when construction would begin have yet to be established. The building's location also needs to be determined, as the applicant suggested two different spots where the facility could be housed.
A wide variety of views _ and cautionary observations from both proponents and opponents _ marked the Bernards Township Committee's first public hearing to gain public input about what residents think about the possibility that the state might legalize recreational marijuana, and the already-approved loosening of medical marijuana distribution.
Mayor Carol Bianchi said the topic will come up for public hearing at a later date, and added the Township Committee might invite an expert on the subject to speak at a future meeting.
On Monday, New Jersey’s Department of Health announced plans to accept applications for individuals and entities interested in opening operational and cultivation facilities. The agency said that it is seeking applicants to operate as many as 24 Alternative Treatment Centers, with the aim to place eight in the northern part of the state, eight in the central region and seven in the south. An additional facility will be placed in a yet-to-be-determined region, the department said.
NEW JERSEY MMJ APPLICATIONS: Forms for businesses interested in applying for one of up to 24 new permits to enter New Jersey’s expanding medical marijuana program were to be posted Monday.
Licenses will be distributed by region.