Today in NJ, you can pick up your weed at a drive through

One day at a time. That’s how the retail cannabis industry is growing in New Jersey.

First, we had shattered dispensaries waiting for town licenses. Then slowly, they started opening up, mostly for medical patients only. Then recently the pace started to pick up with more shops opening for “adult use,” the fancy schmancy grown-up word for weed for fun’s sake— recreational marijuana.

As Erin Vogt reported on New Jersey 101.5 back in July, a Lodi dispensary finally has a drive-through option for picking up weed. And now, as of this past Saturday, it’s open for recreational weed after a soft opening.

According to CBS News, New Jersey's first drive-thru cannabis dispensary officially opened for business Saturday.

It's been less than four months since the legalization of recreational marijuana in the state, and 17 recreational dispensaries have opened shop. TerrAscend Corporation owns and operates the Apothecarium as well as two other pharmacies in New Jersey.

According to the article, Chantelle Elsner, TerrAscend’s senior vice president of retail, said the drive-through option “offers a safer option for patients who may have mobility issues or who prefer to stay in their car.”

In order to accommodate the needs of patients who need marijuana for medical conditions, The drive-thru will be open to medical patients only daily from 9 - 11 a.m.

For a while, it seemed like even though New Jersey had legalized recreational marijuana, we would never see actual retail sales coming to fruition. With all of the red tape and the typical New Jersey bureaucracy, it’s taken quite a long time. But now, not only can you buy recreational weed in New Jersey from 17 different dispensaries statewide, you don’t even have to get out of your car.

We’ve come a long way, baby.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco only.

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