Marijuana delivery is coming to New Jersey

⚫ Special licenses are available for businesses that want to ship cannabis

⚫ The application process is now underway

⚫ Certain businesses have priority access to the licenses

The wheels are moving on getting marijuana shipped right to your door in New Jersey.

On Wednesday, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission opened the application window for operations interested in transporting cannabis from dispensaries to your home.

What's unknown right now is when delivery will actually be up and running in the Garden State. The application process will last several months.

"Social equity businesses" — those owned by people with past cannabis convictions or who have lived in economically disadvantaged parts of the state — are being given priority review and approval through Dec. 26. At that point, businesses that are minority-owned, woman-owned or disabled veteran-owned will get a crack at the opportunity.

The application process for all other applicants is scheduled to open on March 27, 2024.

When will NJ begin marijuana delivery?

Joshua Horn, co-chair of the Cannabis Law practice at Fox Rothschild, estimates that New Jersey consumers will see delivery within a year — it's not just any transportation service that can ship cannabis.

"For the consumer, I think it's better to be in a more regulated environment with respect to this," Horn said. "So you know who you're dealing with, you know that there's oversight."

Horn anticipates that dispensaries in New Jersey will have a relationship with one or more licensed transportation companies that can effectuate deliveries when orders are placed by customers.

"It will be interesting to see what these companies are charging, and I think it'll depend on how many companies are in the business," Horn said.

Beyond rules related to the trip from the dispensary to a home, licensees will also have to make sure the product is getting in the right hands — a product that's still unlawful on the federal level can't be just left on one's doorstep.

The application window that opened on Sept. 27 is also for those interested in the wholesale of cannabis products, and for those who want to transport bulk cannabis products between cultivators, manufacturers, or retailers.

"Now that New Jersey's market is on the cusp of 50 operational cannabis retailers, opening up applications for delivery services, wholesalers, and distributors will help New Jersey's market serve consumers better, " said Jeff Brown, executive director of the NJ-CRC.

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