PO Box 360
Trenton, NJ 08625-0360

For Release:
November 21, 2014

Mary E. O'Dowd, M.P.H.
Commissioner

For Further Information Contact:
Office of Communications
(609) 984-7160

Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center Issued Permit to Cultivate Medicinal Marijuana

4th ATC, Second in Central Region, Permitted to Grow

The New Jersey Department of Health today issued a permit to Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) in Cranbury Township, Middlesex County to begin growing medicinal marijuana.

The permit was issued after a comprehensive review including several site inspections, background checks of its corporate officers and a review of its security operations and cultivation facility. This is the fourth ATC given a permit to cultivate medicinal marijuana by the Department.

"Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center is the second ATC in the central region of the state to receive a permit to grow medicinal marijuana," said Health Commissioner Mary E. O'Dowd.  "Today's action demonstrates the Department's ongoing commitment to provide greater access to medicinal marijuana for qualifying patients."

Once a permit to grow has been issued, Breakwater estimates it will take approximately six months to cultivate and prepare the medicinal marijuana for distribution. Once the product has been tested by the state laboratory and the dispensary is operational and inspected by the Medicinal Marijuana Program, a second permit will be issued to operate and dispense as an ATC. Once Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center is permitted as an ATC, patients will be notified by email of the opening date and the procedure for registering with the ATC. Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center has indicated it expects to open in the spring of 2015.

The Medicinal Marijuana Program has three Alternative Treatment Centers open and dispensing: Greenleaf Compassion Center of Montclair, Compassionate Care Foundation of Egg Harbor and Garden State Dispensary of Woodbridge. Patients can choose any ATC regardless of where they live. Changing ATCs does not require a new identification card. There is no cost to change ATC registration, but patients can only register with one ATC at a time.  Approximately 3,400 patients are registered with the Medicinal Marijuana Program. The 364 physicians enrolled in the program are listed by county and medical specialty.

A complete list of physicians participating in the program can be found at: http://www.state.nj.us/health/medicalmarijuana/find_phy_pat.shtml.

Additional information about the program, including contact information for the ATCs, is available at: http://www.state.nj.us/health/medicalmarijuana/index.shtml.   The Medicinal Marijuana Program customer service number is 609-292-0424.

Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NJDeptofhealth

Last Reviewed: 11/21/2014