ROCHELLE PARK, N.J. (1010 WINS) — April 20 (aka 4/20) might be the hallmark day for pot enthusiasts, but Thursday will be extra special for New Jersey residents.
The recreational marijuana law in New Jersey will go into effect, allowing adults age 21 and up to buy up to one ounce of marijuana at a time if they pay with cash or a debit card.
The following are the names and locations of the state-approved dispensaries:
• Apothecarium, 1865 Springfield Avenue in Maplewood
• Apothecarium, 55 South Main Street in Phillipsburg
• Ascend New Jersey, 174 Route 17 North in Rochelle Park
• RISE, 26-48 Bloomfield Avenue in Bloomfield
• RISE, 196 3rd Avenue, #3C in Paterson
• The Botanist, 100 Century Drive in Egg Harbor Township
• The Botanist, 2090 N Blackhorse Pike in Williamstown
• The Cannabist/Columbia Care, 1692 Clements Bridge Road in Deptford
• The Cannabist/Columbia Care, 1062 North Delsea Drive in Vineland
• Curaleaf, 640 Creek Road in Bellmawr
• Curaleaf, 4237 US-130 South in Edgewater Park
• Zen Leaf, 117 Sprint Street in Elizabeth
• Zen Leaf, 3256 Brunswick Pike in Lawrence Township
Ascend New Jersey in Rochelle Park will be one of the 13 legal marijuana dispensaries in the state.
The storefront is "preparing for a seamless cannabis experience."
Adults over the age of 21 can purchase up to one ounce of recreational marijuana once per day at Ascend, but only by appointment. Appointments on their website start at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. There will be no need for an appointment to purchase medical marijuana.
Ascend's Mike Conway told 1010 WINS' Glenn Schuck they're hoping to avoid huge crowds with lots of "planning."
"Making sure that we are good neighbors and we don't have large lines ... a lot of planning has gone into [making] sure that we're a seamless business in town," he said.
Jeff Brown, the cannabis commission's executive director, said in a statement that they expect crowded storefronts but that dispensaries have assured them that they will be able to meet demand.
"We expect 13 locations for the entire state, [which] will make for extremely busy stores," he said. "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."
Thursday's launch comes as state lawmakers and Gov. Phil Murphy seek a legislative fix to halt off-duty cops from consuming cannabis.
New Jersey and 17 others states, along with the District of Columbia, have legalized recreational marijuana. Thirty-seven states, including New Jersey, have legalized medical marijuana.
New Jersey's recreational sales will begin ahead of New York, where sales are not expected to start until the end of the year, state officials have said.
"This is a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry," Murphy said in a tweet last week.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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