Cannabis for medical reasons has been legal in New Jersey since 2010, but not for recreational usage—though voters may soon change that. In any case, alternative treatment centers or dispensaries can supply marijuana to patients who secured the right to obtain it because of a condition like anxiety, cancer, seizures, or PTSD.

However, the dispensary business is tightly regulated in New Jersey, and when it first rolled out to the public, there were only six such dispensaries in the entire state. But in 2019, New Jersey announced plans to accept additional applications and open up 15 more dispensaries, 5 cultivation operations, and 4 vertically integrated businesses, these last of which were to include the right to grow, manufacture or process, and dispense. Currently, New Jersey wants to expand its dispensary program with 24 more alternate treatment centers.

The application fee is steep at a whopping $20,000, only $2,000 of which is refundable.

Past review committees have consisted of four representatives from the New Jersey Department of Health representatives, one from the Department of Agriculture, and one from the treasury. They received training in implicit bias before reviewing applications, and boasted a combined expertise in medical marijuana, lab testing, plant science, and supply chain.

That said, in order to have a shot at opening a dispensary in New Jersey as they continue to expand ATC offerings, you need to have cash on hand, a serious business plan, and demonstrable expertise in the aforementioned areas. It also doesn’t hurt to consult with a business lawyer in Haddonfield, NJ like one at Siciliano & Associates, who can provide guidance about the parameters of New Jersey’s tight laws around medical marijuana.

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