Stock up on toll money, turnpike drivers. In continuation of Governor Phil Murphy's pledge to embrace legal weed, New Jersey will welcome six new medical marijuana dispensaries this year, with two pot shops each spread across the southern, central, and northern regions of the densely-packed East Coast hub.
At a press conference on Monday, Governor Murphy announced the newly-added dispensary licenses personally, calling on potential applicants to present their business plans to state regulators by the end of next month.
"We look forward to the opening of six new dispensaries so we can ensure that all qualifying patients who want access to medicinal marijuana can have it,'' Murphy said.
Since taking office in January of this year, Gov. Murphy has expanded qualifying conditions for the Garden State's medical cannabis program, welcoming some 10,000 new patients certified to purchase legal weed in only seven months. With over 500 residents signing up to access legal every week, the state's existing six dispensaries have been flooded with long lines and dwindling supply. Under Jersey's current regulations, medical marijuana businesses must be vertically integrated, with cultivation, production, and retail facilities all housed under one roof and operated by one entity.