Ascend Wellness Opens New Dispensary in Rochelle Park, NJ

A medical marijuana company has opened its second North Jersey dispensary, becoming the 18th in the state.Ascend Wellness opened Thursday in Rochelle Park. The Boston-based company also operates a dispensary in Montclair.“We are thrilled to open Ascend Rochelle Park and remain committed to meeting patients’ needs through an elevated patient journey,” Chris Melillo, chief revenue officer of Ascend, said in a statement.“Built to complete the customer purchase process quickly and at scale, our new location will help meet the rising demand for affordable, safe medical cannabis products in New Jersey. We are grateful for the support of Deputy Mayor Gail Artola and Rochelle Park residents in the opening of our dispensary.”New Jersey’s medical marijuana program has grown to more than 107,000 patients, but dispensary openings have lagged. Only 12 companies hold licenses to grow, process and sell medical marijuana, and each can open three dispensaries.The pace of new openings has picked up in 2021, and the state is preparing to allow sales to anyone over 21, not just those with medical conditions.Medical dispensaries will likely be the first to sell to the legal weed market. But they must first prove they have enough cannabis to meet the needs of patients and new customers.The new dispensary is on Route 17, a high-traffic area that sees more than 100,000 vehicles daily, according to Ascend Wellness. The road also connects New Jersey to New York.Click here to read the rest of the story