The Acreage-owned Botanist dispensary is set to open this week in Williamstown in Gloucester County and be the 15th New Jersey dispensary.
It will be located at 2090 N. Black Horse Pike, Williamstown, NJ 08094. The menu is forthcoming, according to the Botanist website. The new location had been in the works for some time.
The Canadian-based Multi-State Operator (MSO) Acreage bought the Botanist last year and operates locations in Atlantic City and Egg Harbor.
They bought the dispensaries from the Compassionate Care Foundation, which has become a non-profit. Under former Governor Chris Christie NJ Department of Health appointee David Knowlton, it was one of the original six cannabis dispensaries opened in New Jersey under Christie.
The first Columbia Care dispensary was in Egg Harbor, followed by Atlantic City. They were so unhappy that MPX/iAnthus’ “Be” was supposed to open in Atlantic City and cut into their monopoly in the city that they sued them unsuccessfully. “Be” won but has been mired internal turmoil. It has no opening date.
MSO Acreage Expands Footprint in Jersey with New Botanist Location
With their second satellite opening, Acreage has done its part to expand the tiny list of open dispensaries in New Jersey.
The medical cannabis dispensary locations in New Jersey are as follows:
- The Botanist, Williamstown
- The Botanist, Egg Harbor
- The Botanist, Atlantic City
- (GTI) Rise, Paramus
- (GTI) Rise, Paterson
- Columbia Care, Vineland
- Ascend (formerly Greenleaf Compassion Center), Montclair
- Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center, Cranbury
- Curaleaf, Bellmawr
- (Verano) Zen Leaf, Elizabeth
- Harmony, Secaucus
- Garden State Dispensary (GSD), Woodbridge
- GSD, Union Township
- GSD, Eatontown
- Apothecarium (TerrAscend), Phillipsburg
Acreage is likely among the large corporations that fit NJWeedman’s definition of “Cannabaggers” well. A “cannabagger” would be like a carpetbagger, a Northerner who went to the South to exploit it after the Civil War.
A cannabagger is highly unlikely to have ties to the underground legacy market. Nor would they be motivated by social justice to legalize cannabis, before entering the cannabis industry.
They facilitated their New Jersey operations by hiring the lobbyist Phillip Norcross, the little brother of South Jersey Political Boss George Norcross III, and Congressman Donald Norcross.
Acreage put former Republican United States House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner on its board a couple of years ago. Boehner, who was against cannabis as Speaker and has never consumed it, was a sign of its acceptance. They also have a deal to merge with the large MSO Canopy if federal adult-use legalization passes.
Cannabis bought in dispensaries in New Jersey is said by most patients to be exceedingly mediocre compared to street cannabis in terms of overall quality and price.
