TRENTON – This afternoon during a Special Meeting the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission approved applications from seven Alternative Treatment Centers to expand into the recreational cannabis business. Once they pass operational inspections and are issued new licenses Acreage CCF New Jersey, Curaleaf, Columbia Care, Verano, GTI New Jersey, Ascend New Jersey, and TerrAscend will be able to cultivate cannabis, manufacture cannabis products, and conduct retail sales to the general public in 13 dispensaries across the state.

Chair of the Commission, Dianna Houenou reiterated that patient access and public safety remains top priority. “These approvals were given based on commitments from the ATCs that we would not see adverse effects with expansion,” she said. “Expansion into the adult-use market - with a substantial advantageous start ahead of new applicants – is a privilege that must not be taken lightly.  We expect these ATCs to uphold their promises to patients and communities; and that recreational customers will be adequately served. The NJ-CRC will be holding these businesses accountable to the commitments that led to their approvals.  It is now on these expanded ATCs to keep up with demand – both medicinal and recreational.”

In addition to the ATC expansions, the NJ-CRC also approved 34 conditional license applications for cultivators and manufacturers. This brings the number of conditional licenses approved so far to 102.

“We are getting closer to the opening of the market. We are approving applications for new applicants and have now made way for the ATCs to expand” said the Commission’s executive director Jeff Brown. “We are now tasked with completing inspections of the ATCs and getting them permitted to open for business to the general public.”

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.

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