N.J.'s biggest medical marijuana company announces new dispensary to open in 2021

Curaleaf, the state’s largest medical marijuana company, has announced it will open its second New Jersey dispensary in Bordentown Township early next year.

The Massachusetts-based company announced it will open its first satellite dispensary on Route 130 North. It currently operates a dispensary and cultivation site as Curaleaf NJ in Bellmawr.

The company said it will begin construction on its 9,000-square-foot dispensary in the fall. It has 92 dispensaries in 23 states.

The dispensary is one of several expected to open in the coming months, including MPX NJ in Atlantic City, TerrAscend in Phillipsburg and a second location of Harmony in Hoboken.

That will bring the total number of dispensaries in the state to 15. But more than 85,000 patients have enrolled in the program, and they often face lines, product shortages and long drives to get to dispensaries.

Currently licensed dispensaries can open up to two satellite locations in the state with approval. Garden State Dispensary and Compassionate Care Foundation are the only two operators to open additional locations so far.

The medical marijuana dispensaries have stayed open throughout the COVID-19 crisis, shifting to serve patients under social distancing regulations. Many patients encountered hours-long waits in March as thousands flocked to dispensaries to stock up on medicine.

The state Department of Health announced a waiver in June that allowed dispensaries to begin delivering marijuana to patients directly so they can avoid traveling to dispensaries during the coronavirus outbreak. Curaleaf was one of four dispensaries that said it planned to offer delivery once approved by the department.

Curaleaf’s expansion in New Jersey started in 2018 after it acquired Compassionate Sciences — one of the state’s original six license holders — rebranding it as Curaleaf NJ. It built a 100,000-square-foot, indoor growing facility on a remediated landfill near an intersection of Interstates 295 and 76.

The medical marijuana program continues to grow as New Jersey voters will soon decide via the ballot whether or not to legalize marijuana for those over 21. About two-thirds of voters polled have said they will likely vote yes on the issue on Nov. 3.