Executive Director’s Recommendation on Conditional License Applications
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Updated: January 2021
Effective February 22, 2021, New Jersey legalized the use of marijuana for recreational purposes under the Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act. Recreational marijuana is also commonly referred to as “adult use” cannabis to distinguish it from medical marijuana, which New Jersey legalized under the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis Act in 2019.
Currently, the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) oversees licensing, taxing, and enforcing regulations for adult use cannabis. The CRC also administers the licensing and regulatory provisions of the Medical Cannabis Program.
Below you will find information regarding licensing procedures for retailers, cultivators, and manufacturers. We keep this page up-to-date when new information becomes available. Please note that this page is for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal advice.
Retailers—also known as dispensaries—sell recreational cannabis and cannabis products in a legal, regulated setting. In New Jersey, there are standard retailers and microbusiness retailers.
A microbusiness retailer is a relatively small operation with:
● No more than 10 employees at any given time.
● A physical plant of no more than 2,500 square feet.
● No more than 1,000 mature cannabis plants each month.
● No more than 1,000 pounds of usable cannabis (or the equivalent amount in other
forms) each month.
At the time of application, retailer applicants must include at least one owner who has resided in New Jersey for at least two consecutive years. Additionally, all owners and principals of the applicant must submit a Personal History Disclosure Form, their résumé, and proof that they are
at least 21 years old. Further, each owner, principal, employee, and volunteer of an applicant must consent to a criminal history background check and comply with the Division of State Police’s fingerprinting procedures.
At the time of application for microbusinesses, 100% of the ownership interest must be held by New Jersey residents who have lived in the state for at least the past two consecutive years. At least 51% of the people included in the application—all owners, principals, and employees—must be residents of either the municipality where the microbusiness will be located or of a directly bordering municipality.
All applicants must also have a valid Business Registration Certificate on file with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services in the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) will first conduct a criminal background check of each of the applicant’s owners, principals, employees, and volunteers. Further, all owners and principals must submit a Personal History Disclosure Form, their résumé, and proof that they are at least 21 years old.
Next, applicants must complete and submit their Adult Use Retailer Licensing Application using the CRC’s online application portal. An applicant must submit a complete, separate application for each physical address where they seek to operate. There is a nonrefundable application fee, along with an annual license fee.
Within 90 days of receiving an application, the CRC will decide whether to accept or deny the application, or to extend the review period. The CRC may verify information in an application by contacting the applicant and its owners and principals, conducting an on-site visit, requiring a face-to-face meeting, and/or requiring additional materials.
If a submitted application is incomplete, the CRC may grant the applicant the opportunity to resubmit their updated application.
The CRC may investigate and conduct a probity review of the applicant, its owners, its principals, and any related entities and their finances, ownership, and control structure. If this happens, the applicant must cooperate with the CRC investigation process and provide any requested information.
If an application is denied, the CRC will provide the denial in writing, including the reason for denial along with the opportunity to request an administrative hearing within 45 days. In a hearing, the application and any supporting documents are reviewed; additional evidence is not considered. The ultimate denial of an application is final and subject to judicial review.
After the CRC approves an application, it will notify the applicant, who must respond within seven days. An applicant then has 365 days from the date of approval to build out their business premises and to request a final on-site assessment. The CRC will determine whether the premises, plans, protocols, and actions are consistent with the application and compliant with state laws. The CRC will issue a license within 90 days of a successful assessment. The license holder then has 14 days to propose an opening date to the CRC.
Most states require dispensaries to track and trace all of their cannabis-related products for regulatory and compliance reporting requirements. Our Retailer Point of Sale and inventory management system provides comprehensive seed-to-sale cannabis tracking with a focus on compliant data points. If your state requires seed-to-sale systems to stay compliant, BioTrack has you covered. Our system is customized to meet the unique regulatory frameworks in each and every state.
Cultivators, also commonly referred to as growers or producers, are responsible for growing cannabis. Once harvested, mature plants are transferred to processors. In New Jersey, there are standard cultivators and microbusiness cultivators. A microbusiness cultivator is a relatively small operation with:
● No more than 10 employees at any given time.
● A physical plant of no more than 2,500 square feet.
● A canopy height no more than 24 feet.
● No more than 1,000 mature cannabis plants each month.
● No more than 1,000 pounds of usable cannabis (or the equivalent amount in other
forms) each month.
At the time of application, cultivator applicants must include at least one owner who has resided in New Jersey for at least two consecutive years. Additionally, all owners and principals of the applicant must submit a Personal History Disclosure Form, their résumé, and proof that they are at least 21 years old. Further, each owner, principal, employee, and volunteer of an applicant must consent to a criminal history background check and comply with the Division of State Police’s fingerprinting procedures.
At the time of application for microbusinesses, 100% of the ownership interest must be held by New Jersey residents who have lived in the state for at least the past two consecutive years. At least 51% of the people included in the application—all owners, principals, and employees—must be residents of either the municipality where the microbusiness will be located or of a directly bordering municipality.
All applicants must also have a valid Business Registration Certificate on file with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services in the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) will first conduct a criminal background check of each of the applicant’s owners, principals, employees, and volunteers. Further, all owners and principals must submit a Personal History Disclosure Form, their résumé, and proof that they are at least 21 years old.
Next, applicants must complete and submit their Adult Use Cultivator Licensing Application using the CRC’s online application portal. An applicant must submit a complete, separate application for each physical address where they seek to operate. There is a nonrefundable
application fee, along with an annual license fee.
Within 90 days of receiving an application, the CRC will decide whether to accept or deny the application, or to extend the review period. The CRC may verify information in an application by contacting the applicant and its owners and principals, conducting an on-site visit, requiring a face-to-face meeting, and/or requiring additional materials.
If a submitted application is incomplete, the CRC may grant the applicant the opportunity to resubmit their updated application.
The CRC may investigate and conduct a probity review of the applicant, its owners, its principals, and any related entities and their finances, ownership, and control structure. If this happens, the applicant must cooperate with the CRC investigation process and provide any requested information.
If an application is denied, the CRC will provide the denial in writing, including the reason for denial along with the opportunity to request an administrative hearing within 45 days. In a hearing, the application and any supporting documents are reviewed; additional evidence is not considered. The ultimate denial of an application is final and subject to judicial review.
After the CRC approves an application, it will notify the applicant, who must respond within seven days. An applicant then has 365 days from the date of approval to build out their business premises and to request a final on-site assessment. The CRC will determine whether the premises, plans, protocols, and actions are consistent with the application and compliant with state laws. The CRC will issue a license within 90 days of a successful assessment. The license holder then has 14 days to propose an opening date to the CRC.
Most states require dispensaries to track and trace all of their cannabis-related products for regulatory and compliance reporting requirements. Our cannabis cultivation and inventory management system provides comprehensive seed-to-sale cannabis tracking with a focus on compliant data points. If your state requires seed-to-sale systems to stay compliant, BioTrack has you covered. Our system is customized to meet the unique regulatory frameworks in each and every state.
Also known as processors, manufacturers take harvested cannabis from producers and create derivative extracts for edibles, concentrates, topicals, and prepacks. Once finished, their products are transported to dispensaries. In New Jersey, there are standard manufacturers and microbusiness manufacturers. A microbusiness manufacturer is a relatively small operation with:
● No more than 10 employees at any given time.
● A physical plant of no more than 2,500 square feet.
● No more than 1,000 mature cannabis plants each month.
● No more than 1,000 pounds of usable cannabis (or the equivalent amount in other
forms) each month.
At the time of application, manufacturer applicants must include at least one owner who has resided in New Jersey for at least two consecutive years. Additionally, all owners and principals of the applicant must submit a Personal History Disclosure Form, their résumé, and proof that they are at least 21 years old. Further, each owner, principal, employee, and volunteer of an applicant must consent to a criminal history background check and comply with the Division of State Police’s fingerprinting procedures.
At the time of application for microbusinesses, 100% of the ownership interest must be held by New Jersey residents who have lived in the state for at least the past two consecutive years. At least 51% of the people included in the application—all owners, principals, and employees—must be residents of either the municipality where the microbusiness will be located or of a directly bordering municipality.
All applicants must also have a valid Business Registration Certificate on file with the Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services in the New Jersey Department of the Treasury.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) will first conduct a criminal background check of each of the applicant’s owners, principals, employees, and volunteers. Further, all owners and principals must submit a Personal History Disclosure Form, their résumé, and proof that they are at least 21 years old.
Next, applicants must complete and submit their Adult Use Manufacturer Licensing Application using the CRC’s online application portal. An applicant must submit a complete, separate application for each physical address where they seek to operate. There is a nonrefundable application fee, along with an annual license fee.
Within 90 days of receiving an application, the CRC will decide whether to accept or deny the application, or to extend the review period. The CRC may verify information in an application by contacting the applicant and its owners and principals, conducting an on-site visit, requiring a face-to-face meeting, and/or requiring additional materials.
If a submitted application is incomplete, the CRC may grant the applicant the opportunity to resubmit their updated application.
The CRC may investigate and conduct a probity review of the applicant, its owners, its principals, and any related entities and their finances, ownership, and control structure. If this happens, the applicant must cooperate with the CRC investigation process and provide any requested information.
If an application is denied, the CRC will provide the denial in writing, including the reason for denial along with the opportunity to request an administrative hearing within 45 days. In a hearing, the application and any supporting documents are reviewed; additional evidence is not considered. The ultimate denial of an application is final and subject to judicial review.
After the CRC approves an application, it will notify the applicant, who must respond within seven days. An applicant then has 365 days from the date of approval to build out their business premises and to request a final on-site assessment. The CRC will determine whether the premises, plans, protocols, and actions are consistent with the application and compliant with state laws. The CRC will issue a license within 90 days of a successful assessment. The license holder then has 14 days to propose an opening date to the CRC.
Most states require dispensaries to track and trace all of their cannabis-related products for regulatory and compliance reporting requirements. Our cannabis processing management system provides comprehensive seed-to-sale cannabis tracking with a focus on compliant data points. If your state requires seed-to-sale systems to stay compliant, BioTrack has you covered. Our system is customized to meet the unique regulatory frameworks in each and every state.
An Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) is a medical cannabis cultivator, manufacturer, and/or dispensary that has been issued a permit to cultivate, manufacture, dispense, or engage in other activities related to medical cannabis and cannabis paraphernalia.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) is not accepting applications for ATCs right now.
Currently operating ATCs are not required to submit a full application to start participating in the recreational cannabis space. Businesses must instead notify the CRC of their intent and prove that they have adequate supply to meet the needs of medical cannabis patients. Businesses must also get approval from the municipalities where they are located.
Most states require dispensaries to track and trace all of their cannabis-related products for regulatory and compliance reporting requirements. Our cannabis POS and inventory management system provides comprehensive seed-to-sale cannabis tracking with a focus on compliant data points. If your state requires seed-to-sale systems to stay compliant, BioTrack has you covered. Our system is customized to meet the unique regulatory frameworks in each and every state.
Regulated adult use cannabis is not currently available in New Jersey. Once recreational cannabis businesses are operating, residents aged 21 and older will be able to purchase adult use cannabis from licensed dispensaries with a valid government-issued photo ID (e.g. driver’s license, passport, military ID card.)
Registered qualifying patients aged 18 and older can purchase medical cannabis from licensed Alternative Treatment Centers.
Yes. Patients must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition to use medical cannabis in New Jersey. You can find a list of the qualifying conditions on the Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s website.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission is in charge of both adult use and medical retail cannabis licensing.
For standard retailers, the application submission fee is $400 and the approval fee is $1,600. The retailer licensing fee is $10,000 and the cannabis business ID card issuance fee is $25. Additionally, the background investigation fee is $2,000 plus $250 for each owner or principal. Social equity businesses are exempt from investigation fees.
For microbusiness retailers, the application submission fee is $200 and the approval fee is $800. The retailer licensing fee is $1,000 and the cannabis business ID card issuance fee is $25. Additionally, the background investigation fee is $2,000 plus $250 for each owner or principal. Social equity businesses are exempt from investigation fees.
New Jersey does not currently have an official cannabis verification and monitoring system.
A licensed business must conduct an initial comprehensive inventory of all cannabis in its possession on its first day of cultivating, manufacturing, or dispensing cannabis. This inventory must include cannabis available for cultivation, finished usable cannabis available for sale, immature and mature cannabis plants, and unusable cannabis. For damaged, defective, expired, or adulterated cannabis awaiting disposal, the name, the quantity, and the reasons why the business is maintaining the cannabis must be recorded. This initial comprehensive inventory will be reported to the Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) utilizing the inventory tracking system.
Going forward, each business must (at a minimum):
● Utilize the CRC’s inventory tracking system, along with any designated plant tags, product ID tags, or stamps.
● Establish controls and procedures for inventory reviews and comprehensive inventories.
● Update product inventories daily.
● Conduct a monthly audit of cultivated, stored, usable, and unusable cannabis.
● Conduct a comprehensive audit at least once every year from the date of the previous comprehensive inventory.
● Include a summary of the inventory findings and the names, signatures, and titles of those who conducted the inventory.
When a license holder disposes of or destroys cannabis, they must render it unusable, weighing the cannabis and updating it in the inventory prior to disposal or destruction. There must be a written record of the disposal. Within 10 business days after destroying the cannabis, the license holder must notify the CRC and disclose the form, weight, and quantity of the destroyed cannabis.
Yes. Our extensive seed-to-sale software allows licensed operators to remain compliant while identifying key data points to streamline and optimize inventory management at each phase of the operation. Some of our features include:
● Automatic reporting to the state system
● Custom compliance-focused reporting
● Waste and destruction tracking
● Unique alphanumeric tags
● Transport manifests
● Real-time product recall information
● Compliant labels customized to your business
● Industry-leading security standards
● 24/7 access to real-time data, analytics, and reports
● Integration metrics
Business records include sales records that indicate the name of the qualifying patient or primary caregiver to whom marijuana is distributed, the quantity, strength and form and the cost of the product.
8:64-10.3 Recordkeeping
(a) An ATC shall maintain records identifying the source of each ingredient used in the manufacture or processing of marijuana.
(b) An alternative treatment center shall meet good manufacturing practices at N.J.A.C. 8:21 for the production of marijuana lozenges or topical formulations;
(c) An alternative treatment center shall maintain a system of recordkeeping that will permit the identification for purposes of recall of any lot or batch of medicinal marijuana from registered qualifying patients when such is found to be unsafe for use.
The New Jersey Medical Marijuana Program is operated by the Department of Health
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