5th New Jersey facility can start growing medical marijuana

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- A fifth facility has been given permission to start growing medical marijuana in New Jersey.

The state Health Department on Monday issued a permit to Compassionate Sciences, Inc., in Bellmawr, a suburb near Philadelphia.

The permit was issued after background checks of officials in the group and a review of security operations and its cultivation facility. It will likely be at least three months before a crop is grown and can be sold to patients who have their doctors' permission.

The state has approved six nonprofit groups to grow and sell marijuana to patients with certain medical conditions. So far, three are open to patients and now two others have permits to grow cannabis. That leaves one of the six facilities without a permit to grow.

(Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)