At long last, adult-use sales have finally started in the state of New Jersey. About a year and a half after Garden State voters called for cannabis legalization, the first adult-use cannabis dispensaries opened their doors on April 21, 2022. It's clear that adult-use cannabis is a hit.
More than 212,000 people purchased legal cannabis products from the state's 12 dispensaries in the first month of sales, spending about $24 million in the process, according to New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC). That's a whole lot of cannabis flower, resin, wax, shatter, capsules, and tinctures, as well as syrups, pills, tablets, capsules, and gummies. Brownies, cookies, or other cannabis products that are baked or cooked are not available yet.
“It isn't surprising that all the rules and regulations aren't finalized yet and that some products are approved for sale, and others in different categories are not,” says Carl Fillichio, Weedmaps' VP of Government Relations. “A new market with dozens of flower strains and a variety of products doesn't just pop up the moment the state legalizes adult-use cannabis. Neither does the government bureaucracy that will regulate it. There are always wrinkles to iron out. Getting to legalization is easy, compared with the challenges of implementation, especially the early months of implementation.”
Are edibles legal in New Jersey?
Syrups, pills, tablets, capsules, and gummies are available for purchase. Brownies, cookies, or other cannabis products that are baked or cooked are not available yet.
Gina Coleman/Weedmaps
So, when will we be able to buy cannabis cookies, brownies, and other baked goods in New Jersey?
The NJ CRC is announcing rules in stages to give shape to its nascent adult-use cannabis industry. The CRC issued temporary rules in August 2021 and is in the process of drafting final rules, which will likely be published during the summer of 2022. As part of that process, the CRC solicited feedback from stakeholders and the public on how they can best regulate products like brownies and cookies.
At the same time, the NJ CRC is reviewing and approving additional applications for testing laboratories, which will allow for additional products to be tested and subsequently offered for purchase. These additional testing laboratories, in conjunction with the establishment of statewide health and safety standards for cannabis products produced in a kitchen, will enable additional products to be offered to consumers.
In the meantime, New Jersey cannabis aficionados can still whip up a batch of pot brownies in their own kitchens with flower purchased at a dispensary. Learn how to make cannabutter and make your own tasty weed treats.
