Adult Use Cannabis Sales

While there was no vote on the matter at the August 23 Council meeting, the public and the Council voiced their views on the matter.

"It's not if, but when," Mayor Christopher DiPiazza said. "But when depends on the mood of the community. I'm not sure if when is now."

Several individuals spoke in favor and just as many spoke against the retail sale of cannabis. Currently, medical marijuana is being sold in the borough.

Union Chill is located at 204 North Union Street in a haven for artists and craftsmen and just minutes from a host of antique shops, eclectic galleries, and comfortable coffee shops clustered on the banks of the scenic Delaware River. The walkable town center features treasures everywhere, in what is known as “The Antiques Capital of New Jersey.”

Saturday marked another first for the New Jersey cannabis industry – the grand opening of the Garden State's first standalone retail dispensary, Earth & Ivy, in New Brunswick.

Earth & Ivy is not a medical treatment center and can’t fulfill state Medicinal Cannabis Program orders from doctors, but medical marijuana patients will receive a discount.

Nova Farms, the Northeast’s largest privately owned, vertically integrated cannabis operator, will open its flagship retail cannabis dispensary in Woodbury on May 19th. The new cannabis dispensary will be the state’s first non-conversion exclusively recreational adult-use dispensary.

The Raritan Borough Planning Board approved Valley Wellness's site plan with variances in April after the borough council passed an ordinance permitting Valley Wellness, a medical marijuana dispensary on U.S. Route 202, to expand into the recreational cannabis business.

However, since recreation would mean more business and customers, borough residents are uneasy about the board granting Valley Wellness a parking variance for the second time.

Multistate operator Sweetspot Brands is now offering recreational cannabis alongside medicinal products at its Voorhees Township dispensary.

After the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved the company’s application to enter into the personal-use market, the business kicked off recreational sales May 11.

Located at 903 White Horse Road, Sweetspot Dispensary first opened last fall as the first business from the state’s 2019 round of licensing to begin serving medical patients.

South Jersey now has another business offering recreational cannabis, and it's New Jersey's first Black woman-owned dispensary.

Holistic Solutions (451 White Horse Pike, Waterford) began recreational sales on Saturday. The dispensary opened in February, serving medical patients.

Suzan Nickelson is both the first woman and the first Black woman to own a cannabis license in New Jersey, according to a news release from Holistic Solutions. Nickelson carries more than 20 years' experience in senior-leadership roles in several state and government departments.

Valley Wellness in Raritan, a certified Woman Owned Business Enterprise, is expanding to offer adult-use cannabis sales beginning on Wednesday.

"All of the work that it took to make this happen, behind the scenes, was intense. Even though we were serving medical patients already, we still had to submit an application to the State, draft new SOP's, make it onto the Agenda, and get approved by the Commission. These are not small feats. So, today is one me and the Team will remember, no doubt!" said founder Sarah Trent, who lives in Morris County.

Valley Wellness in Raritan, a certified Woman Owned Business Enterprise, is expanding to offer adult-use cannabis sales beginning on Wednesday.

"All of the work that it took to make this happen, behind the scenes, was intense. Even though we were serving medical patients already, we still had to submit an application to the State, draft new SOP's, make it onto the Agenda, and get approved by the Commission. These are not small feats. So, today is one me and the Team will remember, no doubt!" said founder Sarah Trent, who lives in Morris County.

To Brodchandel, the chief executive officer and founder of Secaucus-based dispensary Harmony Foundation, it’s just one example of how much the tide has turned in the Garden State, particularly when it comes to public sentiment about the use of cannabis, whether for medical or recreational purposes. As the one-year anniversary of adult recreational use in New Jersey approaches, he and others in the industry can reflect on how public opinion has evolved and the issues state regulators should focus on going forward. “It’s not just about running a business.