Legal weed sales begin in New Jersey: Everything you need to know

Announcement comes three days after state regulators greenlight permits for seven facilities

All New Jersey residents above the age of 21 will soon be able to legally buy cannabis.

Governor Phil Murphy recently announced that recreational cannabis sales in New Jersey will officially begin on Thursday (21 April).

The announcement came just three days after state regulators greenlit permits for seven facilities, that already sell medical cannabis, to begin retailing recreational marijuana.

Three of the seven facilities, known as alternative treatment centres, are in the northern part of the state.

Three are in the south, and one is in central New Jersey.

“This is a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry,” Murphy said.

Below is everything you need to know about the sales.

(Getty Images)

What are some of the locations where you can buy cannabis in New Jersey?

(These locations are subject to change)

Atlantic County - The Botanist/ Acreage CCF New Jersey

Bergen County - Ascend New Jersey

Burlington County - Curaleaf

Camden County - Curaleaf

Cumberland County - Columbia Care

Essex County - RISE/GTI New Jersey, The Apothecarium/TerrAscend

Gloucester County - The Cannabist/Columbia Care, The Botanist/ Acreage CCF New Jersey

Mercer County - Zen Leaf/ Verano

Passaic County - RISE/GTI New Jersey

Union County - Zen Leaf/ Verano

Warren County - The Apothecarium/TerrAscend

How many states have legalised recreational cannabis?

New Jersey is one of 18 US states, along with the District of Columbia, that have legalised recreational cannabis.

How did the centres get approval?

To get approval, the centres agreed that the coming influx of recreational buyers won’t interrupt access for patients. The facilities said they would reserve parking spaces for patients as well as keep hours specifically for patients only.

How many medical marijuana patients are in New Jersey?

There are about 130,000 medical marijuana patients in the state, with an estimated roughly 800,000 potential recreational consumers, and fewer than 800,000 estimated “tourism” consumers, according to the commission.

When did New Jersey fully legalise cannabis?

In February 2021, the state fully legalised recreational marijuana, after Governor Murphy finalised a much-debated cannabis package that voters had approved in November 2020.

“As of this moment, New Jersey’s broken and indefensible marijuana laws which permanently stained the records of many residents and short-circuited their futures, and which disproportionately hurt communities of colour and failed the meaning of justice at every level, social or otherwise — are no more,” Murphy said during a briefing at the time.

With just minutes left before certain proposals were set to expire, Mr Murphy signed three related bills launching a non-medical cannabis industry in the state, ending marijuana arrests, and imposing penalties for people using it under the age of 21.