Molly Ann Farms dispensary in Haledon in Passaic County highlighted the need for cannabis homegrow legalization at their 3rd* CannUnity Culture Collective Stash Drop.
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At their Stash Drops, the first 100 local residents purchased curated cannabis bags for $1 with proceeds supporting The Last Prisoner Project nonprofit. So, a long line formed outside the dispensary on a very cold weekday morning.
“No one should go to jail for growing a plant you can grow in your backyard like a tomato,” Molly Ann Farms Co-Founder Gian Lombardi declared to the crowd.
“As many New Jersey legislators on board… the better,” he explained.
Growing remains a felony in Jersey.
Passaic Legislators Champion Cannabis Home Grow Legalization
State Senator Benjie Wimberly and Assemblyman Kenyatta Stewart (D-35-Passaic) represent the area and announced they’d champion the adult-use and medical homegrow legalization bill S 2564.
“Legislation like S2564 is about expanding access responsibly, empowering patients, and continuing to correct harms caused by decades of prohibition,” Wimberly explained.
“Legalization was a major step forward for New Jersey. But true equity and access means ensuring residents and especially medical patients have safe, legal options to grow cannabis for personal use,” he said.
Assemblyman Kenyatta Stewart highlighted the role home grow could play in advancing fairness and long-term justice goals.
“Legal cannabis reform must continue to address equity, fairness, and community empowerment,” he argued.
“Permitting responsible home cultivation helps ensure that residents are not criminalized for limited personal cannabis use while providing additional options for patients and consumers,” Stewart declared.
Lombardi was eager to push for adult-use and medical cannabis home grow legalization.
Notably, the exclusively medical cannabis home grow legalization bill has more support from legislators across the state and both parties. Both cannabis home grow legalization bills were reintroduced by cannabis home grow champions Vin Goal (D-11-Monmouth) and Troy Singleton (D-7-Burlington).
Wimberly was formerly an Assemblyman and supported homegrow legalization legislation in the past. He has been a consistent supporter of cannabis legalization overall.
Stewart was recently sworn into his first term in the Assembly.
CannUnity Culture Collective Embraces Homegrow
“CannUnity is built on the belief that cannabis access should never be limited by income, geography, or medical need,” said Molly Ann Farms dispensary CEO and Co-Founder Gabriella Wilday.
“Responsible home grow allows medical patients to cultivate the specific cultivars that best support their conditions,” she argued. “For adult-use consumers, it promotes affordability, education, and a deeper appreciation for the plant itself.”
“Adults should not have to risk jail for responsibly cultivating a small number of cannabis plants for personal use,” Wilday declared.
“Legal home grow is the next step in New Jersey’s evolution as a cannabis industry,” said Austin Moses, Operations Director of Bango Distribution. “It bridges the cultural gap between legacy growers and the regulated market. And it empowers consumers to truly understand the plant.”
“As a company that can’t ignore our roots in home grow, supporting CannUnity’s Stash Drop and …home grow in New Jersey honors the culture that built this industry and ensures residents have the same opportunities we had,” said Sammy Piazza, Founder and CEO of Full Tilt Labs.
The CannUnity Culture Collective Brand Alliance
According to Molly Ann Farms, “CannUnity honors cannabis’ deep cultural roots through collaboration among brands that value authenticity, legacy cultivation, and community connection.”
“Community-focused programs like CannUnity help foster responsible engagement, education, and meaningful dialogue around cannabis policy,” they said in a release.
More than 20 New Jersey cannabis brands have participated across multiple events. In addition, over 300 Stash bags have been distributed to local residents. Each bag contained approximately 20g equivalent of mixed product categories including flower, vapes, pre-rolls, and edibles
Over $1,500 in funds have been raised for The Last Prisoner Project to support cannabis justice and expungement advocacy.
The CannUnity Culture Collective is an alliance of cannabis brands. It includes Molly Ann Farms, Bango, Clade9, Fernway, Full Tilt Labs, Garden Greens, Grown Rogue, Hillview Med, Kushi Labs, MPX-iAnthus, North Lake Supply, Sun Extractions, TerrAscend, The Botanist, Wyld, 1906, and others.
Among the list, TerrAscend, MPX-iAnthus and The Botanist are large Multi-State Operators (MSOs).
Heady NJ heard that noted lawyers and lobbyists hired by large MSOs held up New Jersey cannabis home grow legalization in the past.
The zero-sum game mentality seems to have motivated industry players to argue against it in the past.
But that’s like saying a guy who homebrews beer would never buy more beer. Or someone who grows tomatoes to make a soup would never buy more tomatoes for other purposes.
