
NJ opens first applications for cannabis consumption lounges
💻 Began Jan. 2
💻Rolling basis
💻Phased approach
Final approval for cannabis consumption lounges happened over 2024, and as of Jan. 2, online applications are being accepted on a rolling basis to start a consumption area.
The application process is a phased approach, with the January date applying to retail business owners with cannabis convictions or anyone hailing from economically disadvantaged areas, according to the Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s website. Come April 2, diversely owned dispensaries and other microbusinesses can apply. Then all other Class 5 retail operators can fill out a form beginning July 2.
The application process can’t be completed without municipal approval, and the one-page form can be found here. Any municipal rebuttal can lead to a hearing with the desired county’s Superior Court, if an applicant chooses to go that far.
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Cannabis lounges aren’t necessarily a new concept in New Jersey — ordinances have existed Scotch Plains, East Orange and other places. This 2025 approach now offers a streamlined approach for consumption areas to pop up throughout the Garden State.
"New Jersey's cannabis industry is well on its way to being a billion-dollar industry, and consumption areas will likely bolster that — fostering a communal experience for those 21 and older around cannabis in a regulated and secure space," NJ-CRC Executive Director Jeff Brown said in New Jersey 101.5’s past report.
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission portal to apply can be found here.
Limitations
- Medicinal cannabis dispensaries, Class 5 Cannabis Retailers are the only ones permitted to apply
- The place’s municipality and Commission must endorse the area
- Endorsement is good for one year and would need to be renewed
- Only one cannabis consumption area per entity
Application musts
The Cannabis Regulatory Commission says each application must have the following:
- An oath or attestation that the information provided in the application is true and accurate
- Municipal approval
- Detailed floor plans (indoors, outdoors, structural and ventilation requirements)
- Standard operating procedures
- $200 application submission fee for microbusinesses
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