3. New Jersey must legalize home cultivation
The Garden State is the one of only 2 adult-use states that doesn’t allow individuals to grow their own cannabis. And lawmakers aren’t just bringing shame to their state’s nickname with that choice. They’re also hurting medical patients and responsible adults who already voted in droves for legal weed.
Nick Scutari helped get legalization passed in New Jersey. But he’s also one of the biggest opponents blocking home cultivation. Scutari claims that law enforcement said homegrows feed illicit markets in states like Colorado.
The long-awaited conclusion to the marathon cannabis debate that began March 29 came to an end for all practical purposes after about 45 minutes on May 17. After hearing from 14 members of the public, far fewer than had been waiting their turn when the last meeting was adjourned, Council began its own discussion.
TerrAscend Corp. (“TerrAscend” or the “Company”) (CSE: TER) (OTCQX: TRSSF), a leading North American cannabis operator, today announced the first-ever launch of cannabis concentrates in the state of New Jersey. Kind Tree Liquid Live Resin Vape Cartridges and Kind Tree Live Resin Crumble are available exclusively at The Apothecarium Maplewood and Phillipsburg locations. The company also commenced sales of adult-use cannabis-infused edibles under its Valhalla brand.
iAnthus — which acquired MPX NJ earlier this year and opened a medical marijuana dispensary in Atlantic City on May 5 — wants to expand to sell to the adult market there real soon, NJ Advance Media has learned. So does The Botanist, which sells medical weed on the Boardwalk, and is owned by Acreage.
iAnthus is set to appear before the Atlantic City City Council on Wednesday to make its pitch to add adult weed sales at its facility, according to the Council’s meeting agenda posted Friday.
One measure (S2518), sponsored by Sen. Robert Singer (R-Ocean), would amend the state’s recreational marijuana law to ban cannabis consumption for any employee who operates heavy machinery or uses weapons, or whose use of cannabis would “put the public at risk.” That would include any workers who operate tractors, dump trucks, excavators, and bulldozers, plus law enforcement officers.
51-53 14th Street Condominium Association, Inc. filed a 23-page lawsuit against 51-53 14th Street Retail LLC, Exchange Physical Therapy Group, Drew Nussbaum, Jaclyn Fulop, Story Dispensary, Samantha Silva, and Howard Hintz in the Hudson County Superior Court Chancery Division on Monday.
An adult-use dispensary in Burlington County originally set to open for recreational use Friday had to pull out last minute due to a discrepancy with the town.
Curaleaf, which also operates an adult-use dispensary in Bellmawr in Camden County, says it’s still working with the municipality in Edgewater Park
Jeff Brown, the CRC’s executive director, testified for nearly two hours before the Senate Judiciary Committee and Senate President Nick Scutari — the chief architect of legal cannabis efforts in the state. While Brown was joined by other top members of his staff, CRC commissioners were absent from the hearing. Chair Dianna Houenou had planned to attend but was “under the weather,” Brown said.
And in front of Senate President Nicholas Scutari (D) and the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday, industry leaders and marijuana advocates discussed the pace of setting up the Garden State’s recreational market, scrutinized pricing issues and griped over still-unwritten regulations for employers seeking clarity on when they can and can’t discipline employees who use cannabis.
The doors have been open at the state’s first dozen legal recreational marijuana dispensaries for about three weeks now, but it could be a long time before residents see more businesses like them.