Garden State Dispensary

New Jersey’s adult-use cannabis market is still getting going, but that didn’t stop a handful of licensed retailers grandfathered in from the medical program from recording more than a half billion dollars in cannabis sales for 2022.

With nearly $329 million in adult-use sales since the state's launch last April, and more than $226 million in medical sales, New Jersey’s licensed retail market cashed in $555 million altogether in 2022, according to recently released figures from the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC).

Ayr Wellness Inc. (CSE: AYR.A, OTCQX: AYRWF) (“Ayr” or the “Company”), a leading vertically integrated U.S. multi-state cannabis operator (“MSO”), today announces its three retail locations in New Jersey, formerly known as Garden State Dispensary, are now operating under the AYR dispensary name.

Ayr Wellness Inc. is expanding the menu of cannabis brands at the three Garden State Dispensary stores it runs in New Jersey.

In an Oct. 20 press release, the Miami-based multistate operator (MSO) said it is rolling out several brands from its national portfolio, including Lost in Translation premium whole flower, Kynd premium whole flower, Road Tripper whole flower, STIX pre-rolls, Entourage broad-spectrum, terpene-driven vape cartridges, Secret Orchid fruit-forward vape cartridges and Wicked soft lozenges.

Nearly two months after adult recreational weed sales launched statewide on April 21, two of eight major cannabis companies now selling both medical and adult weed have gone fully union.

And four more are currently in major negotiations to go the same route, which collectively, could bring 250 new workers under the union umbrella, according to Hugh Giordano, Director of Organizing for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 360, which represents the state’s cannabis workers, as well as other retail, hospital, manufacturing and public sector employees.

Garden State Dispensary on Wednesday opened three locations in central Jersey for the sale of nonmedical marijuana. The dispensaries in Eatontown, Woodbridge and Union already were selling medical marijuana.

Some Black and brown marijuana entrepreneurs say they are still finding it challenging to attract investors to start their small businesses but hope that will change soon.

Tahir Johnson got conditional approval on May 24 to start his dream business and open a retail marijuana location in his hometown of Ewing, but he is having a hard time.

"I'm looking at purchasing property that all in you know, all in I'm looking at a couple hundred thousand dollars, and I can't go to a bank to get a loan for it," says Johnson.

Three New Jersey dispensaries plan to begin recreational-weed sales Wednesday. The additions will give New Jerseyans 16 legal locations to buy non-medicinal cannabis.

Ayr Wellness will begin selling recreational weed at its Woodbridge, Union and Eatontown stores — each called Garden State Dispensary. In a Monday news release, Ayr leadership expressed optimism in Central Jersey's market for legal cannabis.

The first legal weed sales in central New Jersey are set for Wednesday morning.

The three Garden State Dispensary locations in Woodbridge, Eatontown and Union Township will begin selling marijuana to adults over 21 years old at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, parent company AYR Wellness announced on Monday.

The medical marijuana dispensaries were approved to convert to recreational sales by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission on May 24.

New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved five new recreational dispensaries last week. The Apothecarium in Lodi, Ascend in Montclair, and Garden State Dispensary locations in Eatontown, Woodbridge and Union were approved to expand from medicinal to recreational sales.

There’s no set date for when these new locations will be open to sell recreational cannabis, as they still have to complete a few more steps in their process.

One month into the nascent cannabis industry’s launch, consumers have purchased $24 million in recreational weed, regulators said during a meeting Tuesday where more permits for dispensaries were approved.

Another five medical-only dispensaries will soon be able to start selling adult-use cannabis, joining the 12 dispensaries that started selling recreational weed on April 21. The new locations will be Garden State Dispensaries in Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown; The Apothecarium in Lodi; and Ascend in Montclair.