When it comes to the roaring success — or critical failure — of the New Jersey cannabis industry, fingers are pointing in every direction.
The dispensary operators. The regulators. The legislators. The black market.
But in reality?
"I don't think this is really a concern over whether the market is growing, if it's staying flat or if it's shrinking," said Paul Seaborn, a University of Virginia management professor who has researched and taught the business of cannabis in both the United States and Canada. "It's just a discussion over the pace of growth, and there's no one rate that will please everyone.
"So there will always be this tug-of-war over acceleration."
About a year and a half after New Jersey first started selling marijuana to recreational customers, it’s just too soon to tell how big the market might get. Bullish forecasters expect the market to cross the billion-dollar mark in the next few months, while bearish critics blame government bureaucracy for stagnating growth.