The rollout of the new Zen Leaf Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) dispensary in Elizabeth has not been smooth. Many patients have criticized their initially high prices online and accused them of posting fake reviews of their store.
Medical marijuana (or medical cannabis) patients were furiously posting about the high price on social media boards this past week.
Prices for cannabis flower are high at all the dispensaries. But some are worse than others.
It seems that after intense online criticism, they did indeed lower their prices.
Despite widespread criticism of the prices, the New Jersey Department of Health (NJDOH) has done nothing except offer naïve platitudes that competition in the future will improve the situation.
One problem in government is that political appointees and bureaucrats who regulate an industry do the bare minimum because they want to work for the companies afterward. Unfortunately, this was the case with many who were supposed to regulate the banking industry during the Obama Administration.
Someone said Zen Leaf NJ does not value “patients over profit.”
“Corporate Cannabis is destroying the NJ program and preventing quality businesses from getting licenses. You want home grow? Not as long as Corp Cannabis with inferior products are paying off politicians to keep it illegal,” said one poster.
Zen Leaf NJ Allegedly Posted Fake Reviews
On Reddit, someone said all the reviews Zen Leaf NJ had on the Leafly page were from an individual in Ohio who, after a brief LinkedIn search, was found to be the company’s vice president. The individual was said to have reviewed many dispensaries in Ohio as well.
Given the nature of how state-based the medical marijuana program is, it is indeed odd that an Ohioan would have been to the dispensary. Especially given the restrictions currently on traveling due to COVID.
Someone even claimed the reviews were posted before the store even opened.
On Reddit, someone said about Zen Leaf, “company is beyond pathetic. Really makes me wonder how they’ve even managed such success elsewhere.”
One patient even suggested boycotting the Zen Leaf NJ dispensary until they reformed their practices.
“This additional dispo (dispensary) is basically null and void as far as benefiting most of us. But they will have no problem operating with that many patients and so few stores and products available. They will be fine,” another patient posted.
