New Jersey Senate President Nick Scutari has announced he is forming a special legislative committee to review the delays for legal adult-use marijuana sales in New Jersey.
Instead of awarding several widely-anticipated licenses for recreational marijuana sales, New Jersey regulators kicked the cannabis license issue down the road again today. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission voted to table a motion that could have expanded adult-use licenses to eight major alternative treatment centers — or ATCs — that already offer medical marijuana. Regulators expressed concerns about producing enough recreational products and also jobs to people victimized by the war on drugs, and mostly about preserving patient safety for medicinal users.
A woman who used marijuana to help with her fight with cancer is hoping to become among the first in New Jersey to sell cannabis on the retail market.
Businesses looking to get into the cannabis industry in New Jersey are one step closer. The state will begin accepting applications for dispensary licenses on March 15. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission says it will review applications as soon as they come in, with the goal of approving conditional licenses in about 90 days.
A year after Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation legalizing recreational marijuana use for adults in NJ, businesses looking to enter the market are still waiting to find out when they can begin selling the drug.
The report, which also focused on education, health care and public safety, found that in 2018, Black students were suspended twice as often as other groups, with the number of suspensions increasing the following year. The researchers say more studies need to be done to determine any links between legalization of marijuana and such disparities.
A delay in the start of legalized recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey is likely. According to state law, alternative treatment centers, or ATCs, could begin selling recreational marijuana on Feb. 22, six months after the Cannabis Regulatory Commission adopted rules and regulations for the adult-use market.
"There's a level of frustration here at the Commission, certainly with me, certainly with staff and others, that you know there's an effort to pressure us to move forward in a way that's not compliant with the law. And that's just simply not going to happen," says Cannabis Regulatory Commission Executive Director Jeff Brown.
Hundreds of entrepreneurs have indicated they plan to apply for cannabis licenses in New Jersey. The Cannabis Regulatory Commission began accepting applications on Wednesday for cannabis cultivators, manufacturers and testing labs. As of 9 p.m. Wednesday, 745 accounts had been created and 165 applications had been submitted.
Entrepreneurs wanting to become licensed marijuana cultivators in New Jersey can begin submitting their applications on Wednesday. Applications will be processed in order of priority. Social equity businesses — those owned by individuals with prior marijuana convictions or ones located in economically disadvantaged areas — will top the list.