Recreational Pot In Cranford: Closest Place To Buy

CRANFORD, NJ — Recreational marijuana will be legal in New Jersey starting Thursday, and a total of 13 dispensaries will open across the state.

Although there will not be cannabis dispensary directly in Cranford, there are several in the local area. The closest one in Union County is in Elizabeth, according to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

"We expect 13 locations for the entire state will make for extremely busy stores," said Jeff Brown, executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission. "The dispensaries have assured us that they are ready to meet the demand without disrupting patient access, and with minimal impact on the surrounding communities, but patience will be key to a good opening day."

These dispensaries are required to implement patient access policies so that registrants in New Jersey's Medical Cannabis Program do not have to wait on long lines or risk not getting their medicine. Facilities are expected to implement special lines or hours, online ordering, curbside pick-up or home delivery to ensure patient access is uninterrupted.

Recreational cannabis customers will be able to buy up to 1 ounce of dried flower or up to 5 grams of concentrates, resins, or oils, or 10 100mg packages of ingestible items in a single transaction, according to the Commission.

"We encourage everyone to be safe – buy only from licensed dispensaries and start low and go slow. Remember that the laws against impaired driving apply to being high," cautioned Brown. "Our guests from neighboring states should remember it is illegal to transport cannabis across state lines."

The following are the closest dispensary locations in Central Jersey:

• Zen Leaf, 117 Sprint Street, Elizabeth
• Zen Leaf, 3256 Brunswick Pike, Lawrence Township

North Jersey locations:

• Apothecarium, 1865 Springfield, Avenue, Maplewood
• Apothecarium, 55 South Main Street, Phillipsburg
• Ascend Wellness, 174 Route 17 North, Rochelle Park
• RISE, 26-48 Bloomfield Avenue, Bloomfield
• RISE, 196 3rd Avenue, #3C, Paterson

South Jersey locations:

• The Botanist, 100 Century Drive, Egg Harbor Township
• The Botanist, 2090 N Blackhorse Pike, Williamstown
• The Cannabist/Columbia Care, 1692 Clements Bridge Road, Deptford – 5 PM Open for recreational
• The Cannabist/Columbia Care, 1062 North Delsea Drive, Vineland – 5 PM Open for recreational
• Curaleaf, 640 Creek Road, Bellmawr
• Curaleaf, 4237 US-130 South, Edgewater Park

Here are some reminders from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission regarding cannabis use:

• Do: Be patient – expect long lines and wait your turn to be served.
• Do: Start low and go slow – follow product instructions and remember ingestible products can take longer to take effect than smoking or vaping. Call NJ Poison Center at 800-222-1222 if you are concerned you may have ingested or used too much.
• Do: Store your legal cannabis products securely, out of the reach of kids. Legal cannabis products are in child safe packaging, but always keep them secure and out of the reach of anyone under the age of 21.
• Don't: Drive while high. Driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal and dangerous.
• Don't: Cross state lines. It is illegal to transport legal cannabis products from New Jersey outside of New Jersey.
• Don't: Buy more than one ounce. Consumers can't purchase more than an ounce in a single transaction, and legally cannot possess more than one ounce at any time. Consumers could face criminal penalties if they disregard these limits.
• Do: Be safe, be smart, follow the rules.

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