Cannabis regulators on Thursday denied Curaleaf, the biggest player in New Jersey’s nascent cannabis industry, a renewal of the license that allows it to grow and sell recreational marijuana in the Garden State.
The vote represents a surprising blow to the cannabis giant, and comes just about a week before the first anniversary of recreational weed sales in the state. It left observers stunned, and a representative of Curaleaf seeking help from the attorney general and wondering aloud about legal action.
Without a license, Curaleaf’s approval for recreational sales lapses on April 21. It remains unclear what the change means for its customers seeking medical marijuana, what happens to the company’s stores in Bellmawr, Edgewater Park, and Bordentown, and whether the company can appeal the decision. Curaleaf officials did not immediately comment on the action.
Thursday’s vote by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission comes a month after Curaleaf confirmed it is closing one of its growing facilities and laying off 40 workers. Commission members cited the closure, along with the company’s clash with unionization and its lack of transparency with the state, as reasons for it rejecting Curaleaf’s license renewal.