New Jersey will need 100 cannabis growers if adult use is legalized, regulators say

If New Jersey legalizes recreational marijuana, a move that’s been discussed for months and has a new deadline, roughly 100 new cannabis cultivators would be needed, according to an estimate from state officials.

That’s in addition to the 35 or so growers needed to supply the expected expansion of the medical cannabis program.

According to radio station New Jersey 101.5, budget documents provided by the state health department estimate the recreational market would need about 2 million square feet of cannabis cultivation space.

The state’s medical marijuana growers currently plant on 105,000 square feet.

The same budget report estimated the state needs to add 50-90 medical cannabis dispensaries in the next three years.

Meanwhile, after meeting with lawmakers Thursday, Gov. Phil Murphy set a new goal to pass legislation to legalize the sale of recreational cannabis by May 30.

For more details about estimates for New Jersey’s cultivation space, click here.