NJ will need at least 50 medical marijuana dispensaries to keep up with demand

New Jersey will need 50 to 90 medical marijuana dispensaries in order to effectively keep up with the number of patients – according to a new report by the state Department of Health.

News 12 Staff

Apr 2, 2019, 2:55 AM

Updated 2,015 days ago

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NJ will need at least 50 medical marijuana dispensaries to keep up with demand
New Jersey will need 50 to 90 medical marijuana dispensaries in order to effectively keep up with the number of patients – according to a new report by the state Department of Health.
There are currently only six medical marijuana dispensaries in New Jersey – one of which is located in Woodbridge. The Garden State Dispensary is where Franklin Park resident Amanda Hoffman gets her medical marijuana to treat her colitis.
“There’s no time out from the pain. It’s constant. And what that does to you and what that does to your quality of life, it’s awful,” she says.
Hoffman says that she has been using medical marijuana for six years and that it has changed her life.
“When I go home at night I can medicate with cannabis, wake up the next day and go back to work no problem,” she says.
Gov. Phil Murphy has expanded the state’s medical marijuana program – which means higher demand and more patients. This is why state health officials are calling for more locations for dispensaries.
Ken Wolski of the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey says that he supports the state’s report. He says that more facilities will also help cut down on the cost of the product.
"Certainly greater competition is one of the ways to bring down the price. That's one of the things the department of health is recommending,” he says.
The report also recommends expanding the number and types of doctors who can recommend medical marijuana and eliminate a requirement that patients have to see those doctors every three months.
The full report can be found on the health department’s website.