Awards and denial decisions made on 14 cannabis cultivation and vertically integrated companies 

TRENTON – The Cannabis Regulatory Commission has accepted the recommendation to approve 14 of the 2019 medicinal cannabis business applications that had been previously held up due to a court-ordered stay of the review process. Ten applications for cultivation permits and four applications for vertically integrated permits were approved and can begin preparations to serve New Jersey’s medicinal cannabis patients. Because of increasing patient need, five more cultivation permits were awarded than had been planned in 2019. 

“The current alternative treatment centers have not kept pace with patient need,” said CRC Chairwoman Dianna Houenou. “We constantly hear from patients that prices are too high and that there are too few dispensaries with too few product options. The situation has not changed with the legalization of recreational cannabis. Our priority is to our patients and increasing the planned number of medicinal cannabis operators in the market will greatly benefit them.” 

Twelve alternative treatment centers and satellite locations across New Jersey currently serve 118,882 medicinal cannabis patients. 

Of the ten cultivator permits approved three are in North Jersey, five are in Central Jersey, and two are in South Jersey.  They could potentially add 235,000 sq. ft. of canopy to the market. The four vertically integrated awards (for businesses doing cultivation, manufacturing, and retail) could add another 120,000 sq. ft. of cannabis canopy and an additional four retail locations. 

Applicants approved for cultivation: 

• Bloom Medicinals of PA 
• CYOUR NJ 
• Garden State Releaf 
• GCSS 
• Green Medicine 
• Hillview Med 
• The NAR Group 
• NJ Nectar Ventures 
• Noble Valley 
• ZY Labs
  

Applicants approved for vertically integrated operations: 

• Altus 
• Etain 
• Greenhouse Wellness 
• Holistic
  

“We know how anticipated these final actions were and we are happy they are now completed,” said CRC executive director Jeff Brown. “The awardees can now continue with the process to establish their operations. This can only be a good thing for cannabis patients and New Jersey’s fledging cannabis industry.” 

Applications and all reward documents related to the RFA process are available at Final Administrative Decisions. 

The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission establishes and enforces the rules and regulations governing the licensing, cultivation, testing, selling, and purchasing of cannabis in the state.