A New Jersey state panel has said that big applicants are not ready, delaying legal weed sales yet again.
A state commission delayed approving the expansion of eight medical marijuana dispensaries to start selling recreational weed in New Jersey as soon as late April.
Starting in late April or early May, select alternative treatment centers will be able to cater to both recreational and medical consumers of marijuana in New Jersey after a state panel gave approval on Thursday.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission that oversees the nascent industry did approve 68 cultivators and manufacturers for conditional licenses. However, those operations are not expected to launch until the fall at the earliest.
The expansion of the eight alternative treatment centers to begin selling weed, expected by industry experts, was put on hold as CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown said the commission wants plans for how they can accommodate both medical marijuana patients and those seeking to buy recreational cannabis.
According to Brown, the centers simply don’t have enough weed, contending the market may be short by 100,000 pounds to meet both medical and recreational populations.
“We may not be 100 percent there today, but I assure you we will get there,” Brown said before the board voted 5-0 to table voting on the expanded ATC applications. “We have a few things to address and when we address them I’m happy to return to this body with a further update.”
“Our goal is to work with the industry and the industry to work with us so at the very next CRC meeting we have a cohort of ATCs that are turn-key to launch this market here, simply pending a vote by this commission,” Brown said. “If for any that are still not there, hopefully (they’ll be) ready for conditional approval pending certain timelines and regulatory milestones that we can work to get done.”
Brown said the CRC would allow the alternative treatment centers to expand weed supply as quickly as possible.
Brown said he also wants a commitment the dispensaries will hire people with past past marijuana arrests or people who come from disadvantaged areas.
The New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association said it “remains optimistic that the CRC will sooner rather than later open the adult-use cannabis market in New Jersey … we admit to being disappointed with today’s decision to further continue its delay.”
“In November 2020, New Jerseyans made it very clear that they wanted a safe and legal adult-use cannabis marketplace in the state,” the industry group said. “It goes without saying that no one could have foreseen that some 16 months later, we would still be waiting to see this come to fruition.”
