Garden State Dispensary (GSD) is opening a second New Jersey cannabis dispensary location in Eatontown in Monmouth County.
The New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) gave the Eatontown New Jersey cannabis dispensary permission to dispense earlier this week.
Their main location is in Woodbridge, with their first satellite being in Union Township.
“Expanding access to our growing patient population continues to be a high priority, especially during these unprecedented times,” said Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. “The opening of this site will provide residents in the Monmouth County area better access to products they need to treat their conditions.”
According to the NJDOH, the state now has 86,000 patients, of whom 7,341 live in Monmouth County. There are 3,300 caregivers and 1,200 physicians registered in the New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program (NJMMP).
Garden State Dispensary in Eatontown will be the 12th dispensary location in New Jersey.
The total current dispensary list in New Jersey is:
- Columbia Care in Vineland
- Greenleaf Compassion Center of Montclair
- The Botanist (Compassionate Care Foundation/Acreage) of Egg Harbor
- The Botanist in Atlantic City
- Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center in Cranbury
- Curaleaf NJ, Inc. in Bellmawr
- Verano in Elizabeth
- Harmony Dispensary in Secaucus
- (GTI) Rise in Paterson
- Garden State Dispensary (GSD) of Woodbridge
- GSD in Union Township
- GSD in Eatontown
While Monmouth is said to have the fourth most patients by county, this is the county’s first dispensary. The Republicans who largely control Monmouth County have been opposed to medical marijuana. Democrats in progressive strongholds like Asbury Park have been favor more receptive to cannabis reform. The Eatontown dispensary is more like the latter.
Visiting Garden State Dispensary in Eatontown is by appointment only.
Problems with GSD Garden State Dispensary
Most patients don’t like the current New Jersey medical marijuana (or cannabis) dispensaries. GSD is included among them.
Like the other New Jersey cannabis dispensaries, their prices are considered astronomical and of mediocre quality, and scarce. They were one of the six dispensaries. Their working conditions were at one point so abysmal that workers took great risks and succeeded at forming a union there under the UFCW, which has improved conditions.
Garden State Dispensary is one of the original six dispensaries that gained their licenses through crony ties to then-Governor Chris Christie.
GSD was bought by the Multi-State Operator (MSO) Ayr. Like most of the other dispensaries, they are known for practices criticized by patients and advocates as greedy and indifferent to the negative effects of the War on Drugs, which has harmed many, especially minority communities.
Messages to GSD were not returned by the time of publication.
