The New Jersey adult-use cannabis sales market was opened at the Verano Zen Leaf dispensary in Elizabeth in Union County with great fanfare and many elected officials.

“Cannabis is now available to anyone 21 and older in New Jersey,” said Zen Leaf representative Destiny.

“Getting to today was a cornerstone promise in social and economic justice that I made nearly six years ago,” Governor Phil Murphy said. “Getting to this moment was also the hope of the overwhelming majority of New Jerseyans who supported establishing your legal adult-use cannabis marketplace in 2020.”

He said he hoped federal legalization would occur as well.

“This is just the beginning. We still have a long way to go before this industry develops,” Murphy said.

He said he wants the diversity of the State reflected in a cannabis industry with many opportunities.

Building a System

“Would all of us, including me, liked to have gotten to this day sooner? Absolutely. If we had only built a system that encouraged the big players to be in New Jersey, it would have been a lot easier,” Murphy argued.

He cited the recently licensed conditional licenses as a sign of progress.

“That 100 and some licenses is a rainbow of the diversity of our state, Black, Brown, women, vet, minority overall,” Murphy noted about the license winners.

He said the New Jersey adult-use cannabis market “could serve as a model for other states. This is going to be a big industry in this State. A lot more to come in the coming months.”

Murphy praised UFCW labor union leaders Sam Ferraino, Hugh Giordano, and Tom Donahue, noting they represent Elizabeth Verano Zen Leaf workers.

“Personal preference. Just because it’s your personal preference doesn’t mean you’re stigmatizing anybody,” Murphy said when explaining why he doesn’t want to buy adult-use cannabis.

New Jersey Adult-use Cannabis Market Opened

Senate President Nick Scutari (D-Union) noted he has pushed for cannabis legalization since 2004.

“I got laughed at. That laughing continued for years and years until we ended up gathering a bunch of legislators going out to Colorado,” he said. “I wasn’t sure we were ever going to get here, but here we are.”

When Phil Murphy began exploring running for Governor, Scutari met with him to see where he stood on the possibility of a New Jersey adult-use cannabis market.

“He wasn’t there yet, but he did get around to it and became our number one cheerleader,” he explained. “So, Governor, thank you.”

Ending the War on Drugs

“The insanity and stupidity of the War on Drugs, it was an absolute misstep,” Scutari said.

“I’m glad there’s long lines. I wanted to be proven right after 18 years of working on it. Because I was really the only one talking about it when we first started,” Scutari said. “There were a lot of lives that were lost or destroyed. There was a lot of economic potential that was never recognized. Today is only the beginning.”

“I’m not sure they’ll be permitted to do so,” Scutari said. He spoke about Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Bayonne Mayor Jimmy Davis seeking to block off-duty police officers from consuming.

Ironing Out Details

Scutari praised Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage, who was in the crowd, for embracing cannabis.

“I think they’re going to be sorry they didn’t, as time goes on,” he said about reluctant towns.

“There will be tweaks in the law…I don’t want to start treating people individually differently on their own time. There’s a lot of personal behaviors I don’t think the State should be interfering with,” Scutari said.

Scutari is still planning hearings on the status of the market.

“These are not gotchya hearings. These are informational hearings to make the industry do better and help us help them,” he said.

“When asked about buying legal adult-use cannabis, Scutari said, “Probably at some point. Not today. I’m not going to wait on line.”

Progress Made

Assembly Speaker Coughlin (D-Middlesex) said he was told the first person on the line arrived at 6:15 AM and noted how excited people were.

He went on Scutari’s trip to Colorado.

“I became convinced this was the right thing to do for New Jersey. And today, it comes to fruition,” Coughlin said.

NJCRC Executive Director Jeff Brown had no concerns about patients accessing medical cannabis. He noted they had priority parking at Zen Leaf, and patients likely bought medical cannabis yesterday on the 4/20 cannabis holiday.

“It’s a milestone… It’s the beginning of building this market,” Brown said. “I look forward to this growing to be the industry that’s as diverse as our State…”

“Today is a remarkable moment, but it is not the final step. We must ensure that both medical and adult-use cannabis are in supply and affordable for New Jerseyans,” New Jersey CannaBusiness Association (NJCBA) President Ed DeVeaux said.

“However limited, any start to sales marks a notable milestone, one that warrants greater reflection on the long-term goals we want to achieve,” said NORML New Jersey Executive Director Michael Chazukow.

Medical Cannabis Patient Access

Sativa Cross advocate Jason Cordero went to Ascend in Rochelle Park to assess their medical cannabis patient access.

“They had medical patients parking by the door and rec in the back. I got right in, no wait. There was a separate medical desk for intake and a separate counter when I got inside. They knew what was up. I asked for super-specific requests that they did a good job fulfilling. I was in and out in 10-15 minutes,” he said. “Price and quality is a different story.”

“The launch of New Jersey’s adult-use marketplace is a major step forward for the cannabis industry. It is a privilege to be among the inaugural group of licensees,” said Curaleaf CEO Joe Bayern in a release. “Our local teams look forward to building strong relationships with new consumers…”