Aiming to counteract potential barriers to ownership of medical cannabis dispensaries and other types of alternative treatment centers by minority and women entrepreneurs in New Jersey, Assemblyman Jamel Holley sponsored a bill to revise certain restrictions on those businesses.
Christian Veliz and Diane Murray-Clements are seeking Assembly seats in the upcoming primary election on a Colum B slate headed by Assemblyman Jamel Holley, who is challenging incumbent State Senator Joe Cryan. Holley is sponsoring legislation to make medical cannabis dispensaries business opportunities more available for minority, woman or disabled veteran owners.
Current law prevents any entity from holding more than one permit for a medical cannabis cultivator, manufacturer or dispensary. Under the bill (A-5179/S-2875), investors who significantly assist someone applying for a medical cannabis dispensary permit would be allowed to hold up to 35 percent interest in up to seven medical cannabis dispensaries – provided those businesses are minority, woman or disabled veteran-owned.
Business owners would be required to pay back the financial assistance they receive from an investor within a period of time determined by a sliding scale system based on the size of the loan. The measure specifies that ownership would not revert to the investor if the business were to default.