Behind the beige walls of this former 120,000-square-foot Walmart store in Branchburg, N.J., blooms an emerald green indoor cannabis farm for multi-state operator Verano Holdings Corp.
After winning a permit in 2018 from the New Jersey to supply cannabis for the Garden State’s medical program, Verano’s VRNOF VRNO cultivation facility now grows and processes jars of dried flower, pre-rolled cannabis cigarettes, gummies and vaping oil for the company’s Zen Leaf dispensaries in the state.
Verano currently operates three adult use dispensaries in New Jersey in Neptune Township, Elizabeth and Lawrence Township.
Verano’s 200-employee cannabis cultivation facility operates as one of many in the overall cannabis industry that’s expected to total $26.5 billion in 2022 as “robust consumer engagement with the category has driven strong unit growth,” according to Cowen analyst Vivien Azer.