New Jersey will begin the sale and use of recreational cannabis for adults beginning next Thursday, according to a statement from the state’s cannabis regulatory commission.
According to the statement, the commission will issue licenses to seven alternative treatment centers, including 13 retail dispensaries.
Earlier last year, Governor Phil Murphy signed legislation decriminalizing marijuana use for those 21 and older, Citizen Free Press previously reported.
That signing came after New Jersey voted in 2020 to legalize recreational marijuana. State lawmakers, unable to muster enough support to pass a bill to fully legalize it, agreed to put the question directly to voters: “Do you approve of changing the Constitution to legalize a controlled form of marijuana called ‘cannabis’?”
Public Question #1 amended the state constitution to legalize cannabis for personal, non-medical use by adults 21 and older, and the state commission that oversees the medical market would also regulate the personal market.
“Starting April 21, adults 21 and older will be able to legally purchase cannabis and derivative products without needing a medical card. This is a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry,” Murphy said in a tweet this Thursday.
In its statement, the commission reiterated its focus on equity and diversity throughout the state’s cannabis industry.