New Jersey Cannabis Regulators Approve 70 New Licenses, Delay Decision on Social Equity Excise Fee

The meeting opened with remarks from the chair highlighting the agency’s continued recognition as a national leader in policy, public engagement, and transparency. Commissioners also introduced a new online waiver form designed to streamline requests for regulatory flexibility, with criteria including public health and safety considerations and the need to maintain patient and consumer access. The executive director reported that more than 260 medicinal and recreational dispensaries are now open across 21 counties. As of mid-September, patient enrollment stood at 55,513, supported by 3,738 caregivers and 1,549 doctors. On licensing, 3,071 applications have been submitted to date, with 2,388 approved, 276 under active review, and others pending resubmission or compliance checks.

Commissioners considered multiple business conversion applications, approving requests from four companies—including Doobiez LLC, Golden Door Dispensary, Jersey Meds Management, and The Happy Farmer—to expand from microbusinesses into standard-sized operations. They also approved a major canopy expansion for AGJRA, which will move from a Tier I cultivation cap of 10,000 square feet to Tier VI, allowing up to 150,000 square feet.

Ownership transfers were approved for several operators, including Earth and Ivy LLC, Garden Greens, Leafy D’Lites LLC, and Theory Wellness of New Jersey. Location change requests also moved forward, including approval for Got Your Six to shift its Princeton dispensary site.

On licensing, the commission granted two conditional-to-annual conversions for Beleaf NJ LLC, a cultivator and manufacturer, along with approvals for retail conversions by A Higher Ground Dispensary and Chelsea Beach Buds. Six new annual licenses were also approved—including cultivator, manufacturer, and retail businesses—alongside 61 annual license renewals for existing operators across the state.

Commissioners also considered waiver requests. Approvals included allowing Blue Oak NJ LLC to sell hemp-derived THC and CBD beverages, The NAR Group to open a satellite medical cultivation site, Genuine Grow LLC to defer licensing fees until its manufacturing license is active, and Hello High Dispensary LLC to increase purchase limits for customers.

Two enforcement actions were adopted: one against Greater Purpose for transporting cannabis with unapproved vehicles, and another against The Honorable Plant for failing to notify regulators of an ownership change.

The meeting closed with public comment and notice of the next session, scheduled for December 11.