The Apothecarium NJ by TerrAscend has opened the 17th New Jersey cannabis dispensary location this week in Maplewood in Essex County.
Located at 1865 Springfield Avenue, Maplewood, NJ it is now a full-service medical cannabis dispensary with 6,500 square feet of space.
Apothecarium NJ Shines
TerrAscend Northeast CEO Greg Rochlin and Chairman Jason Wild were on hand to cut the ribbon.
“We are truly excited to be here,” Rochlin said regarding Maplewood. “This is the flagship store of TerrAscend Northeast and our flagship store in New Jersey.”
The first New Jersey cannabis dispensary under the Apothecarium NJ brand opened in Phillipsburg last November.
The Apothecarium’s Maplewood New Jersey cannabis dispensary location is likely to become even more popular. This is due to its location in more urban Essex County, which is closer to other urban centers.
Phillipsburg in Warren County is a more rural location. However, the larger and more prosperous Easton, PA is just across the Delaware River. It might bring a lot of foot traffic if they secure an adult-use license.
“It’s amazing seeing something go from an idea to fruition,” Rochlin said.
“I’m very, very impressed with my team. They have done a fantastic job setting this up,” he said about the store. Rochlin added there was nothing he wanted to change when he first looked around.
Long Time Coming
“It feels likes 20 years ago, but it was the summer of 2018,” Wild said, recounting their application. “It’s been a lot of ups and downs and challenges to get here.”
Mayor Frank McGhee lauded Deputy Mayor Dean Dafis and Committeeman Victor De Luca. They were in attendance and pushed for a New Jersey cannabis dispensary in town.
“This is the future,” McGhee said. “We recognize this, and we want to be part of this opportunity.”
“I was very, very interested in getting this working,” De Luca said.
He noted that TerrAscend had reached out to him when they were interested in securing a license. He then spoke to the landlord of the building the Apothecarium now occupies. De Luca had been in touch with them when Maplewood was first exploring allowing a dispensary in town.
“It’s really the kind of place we’re looking for, an upscale facility,” De Luca said. “We think it’s going to be a real plus for our Springfield Avenue Business District.”
He said they could see the dispensary selling adult-use cannabis in the future.
“I know there are people in town who are adults using marijuana. I want to allow them to be able to go and buy it,” De Luca said. “So, go buy it here locally.”
De Luca noted several companies were looking for approval during the 2019 licensing process.
The Newest New Jersey Cannabis Dispensary
The Apothecarium in Maplewood will have an interactive product display. It will also have two large “bud bars” where customers can see and smell flower they might want to purchase.
Apothecarium Dispensary Maplewood currently has a wide selection of products. These products include many Sativa, Indica, and hybrid flower. In addition, pre-rolls, cartridges, tinctures, and distillates are also in stock.
A budtender said some of the flower they have is smaller, making it easier to break up and smoke. That usually costs about $45. The regular-sized flower is $56 for an eighth of an ounce. This price is far less than the cost at most New Jersey cannabis dispensaries.
The Apothecarium in Maplewood also has lozenges and lotions for those not interested in smoking. A senior budtender said the menu is growing. They are still in the process of loading the store with different products.
The Maplewood dispensary is a bright and spacious place. It has light colors and a modern style, similar to that of an Apple Store.
A few people were on hand to take advantage of the special prices. They also had the bonus of being part of the opening day of sales.
Individuals must first go through security and the lobby lounge before entering the store. IDs and medical cannabis cards will be checked at this time.
TerrAscend Details
TerrAscend, a publicly traded company, is a Multi-State Operator (MSO) with Apothecarium dispensaries in four states.
They are opening their third dispensary location this summer. It is in Lodi, NJ, which is located in Bergen County. Apothecarium Lodi is next door to the home of the famous Bada Bing strip club featured throughout much of “The Sopranos.”
An apothecary was what pharmacists were called in the past. In the 19th century, American apothecaries prescribed and provided weed regularly for pain. (More on that in Cannabis 101!)
This is a list of New Jersey Cannabis dispensary locations currently open:
- Apothecarium (owned by TerrAscend) in Maplewood
- Apothecarium (owned by TerrAscend) in Phillipsburg
- Zen Leaf (owned by Verano, an MSO in 5 states) in Neptune
- Zen Leaf (owned by Verano) in Elizabeth
- The Botanist (owned by Acreage Holdings, an MSO 4 in states) in Williamstown
- The Botanist (owned by Acreage Holdings) in Egg Harbor
- The Botanist (owned by Acreage Holdings) in Atlantic City
- Rise (owned by Green Thumb Industries, an MSO in 5 states) in Paramus
- Rise (owned by Green Thumb Industries) in Paterson
- Columbia Care (an MSO in 13 states) in Vineland
- Ascend (an MSO in 5 states, formerly Greenleaf) in Montclair
- Breakwater in Cranbury
- Curaleaf (an MSO in 15 states) in Bellmawr
- Harmony in Secaucus
- Garden State Dispensary (GSD), owned by Ayr Wellness, an MSO in 6 states) in Woodbridge
- GSD (owned by Ayr Wellness) in Union Township
- GSD (owned by Ayr Wellness) in Eatontown
[mc4wp_form id=725]
