Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
After waiting almost two long years, New Jerseyans were finally allowed to legally buy cannabis on April 21 — the day after the 420 high holiday. And boy did they ever.
Shutterstock
According to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, customers bought nearly $2 million in recreational weed on the first day of sales alone, and that was through only 13 medical marijuana dispensaries across the state. The dispensaries serviced more than 12,400 customers on that Thursday. In the five days after, the dispensaries sold another 7,500 to patients.
“We expected sales to be substantial and the data shows that the market is effectively serving both adult-use consumers and patients,” CRC’s executive director Jeff Brown says. “We continue to monitor inventory and access for patients and are prepared to take enforcement action against any ATC that does not meet the requirements for patient access and supply.”
RELATED: New Jersey Finally Gets Its Recreational Weed, Sales Begin April 21
Without a hitch
New Jersey voters approved the amendment to legalize recreational-use cannabis in November 2020, but it took 18 months to get the program off the ground, frustrating many. But like a good drag on a pre-roll, that all quickly melted away. The day was as festive as 420 itself, with hundreds of customers lining up in early morning hours, welcomed by DJs, food trucks, and free swag.
Initial worries that demand would exceed supply quickly went up in smoke as day-of reports saw a smooth rollout across the board. And the idea that it would cause a sort of reverse “bridge and tunnel” effect with New Yorkers flowing into its neighbor state for weed hasn’t quite taken hold (yet), although some are definitely making the trek.
“The only reason I came to Jersey was literally just to buy legal pot — that’s really the truth,” a Manhattanite named Ethan, who rented a Zipcar with a friend to cross the border, told the New York Times. “To buy it legal and not to have to deal through the illegal channels, it makes it easier. Even though it’s a premium, it just feels better.”
RELATED: No Pot Brownies, Cookies, and Sour Peach Gummies For You, New Jersey
Policing the rush
New Jersey police were on hand to help with the first weekend’s festivities, including uniformed officers standing at entrances of some of the dispensaries. They were also out in full force watching for DUI traffic violations.
One police spokesman in Jersey City, which neighbors New York City, said that any arrests involving marijuana “did not greatly exceed what we expected or what is typical for a weekend.”
