The Jersey Shore welcomes new Cannabis dispensary, becoming 16th in NJ!

A new medical marijuana dispensary opened in Neptune Friday, becoming the 16th in the state as New Jersey expands medical cannabis and looks to launch legal weed sales for people 21 and older.

Zen Leaf opened to patients at 10 a.m. at the site of a shuttered Smashburger. The company’s first dispensary in Elizabeth opened last spring.

Anthony Marsico, Executive Vice President Of  Verano

“We’re expecting this to be a very busy store,” said Anthony Marsico, executive vice president of  Verano, the Illinois-based company that runs Zen Leaf. “This is a widely underserved area.”

Eatontown has the only other dispensary in Monmouth or Ocean counties. It opened last summer.

Bordering five other towns and five busy highways, Neptune is a city accessible to many patients. Who wants to buy from Zen Leaf.

Patients enrolled in the state’s medical marijuana program have long complained about long drives and product shortages. Under Gov. Phil Murphy, the program has grown to more than 100,000 patients, but the opening of new dispensaries has not kept pace.

The location, just minutes from Asbury Park, is also ideal for public sales.

But those won’t come quickly. New Jerseyans voted 2 to 1 to legalize marijuana in November, and Murphy signed a law in February to launch the industry. But the newly minted Cannabis Regulatory Commission must still adopt rules and regulations to guide the new industry and license new businesses. It met for the first time Monday.

Medical dispensaries will likely get the first shot at selling weed to the public, but they must first certify they have enough cannabis for both the medical market and new customers.

Zen Leaf Operated By The Illinois-based Company Verano

Zen Leaf, which is operated by the Illinois-based company Verano, is already expanding its cultivation footprint. It will eventually have 120,000 square feet of cultivation space at its grow site in Readington, Marsico said.

The company also plans to open a third location in Lawrenceville in coming months. Each medical operator currently licensed can open three dispensaries under the law.

The Neptune dispensary has already added 30 local employees, and could increase. That to as many as 80 once sales to the public begin, Marsico said. They interested in launch home delivery of cannabis to patients. But do not plan to open a consumption lounge, which allowed under the legalization law.

Neptune welcomed the dispensary, which adds jobs and turns a closed restaurant into a profitable business.

 For the rest of the story, click here