Are Weed Lounges Coming to NJ? Probably – But Here Are The Rules!

The weed market is New Jersey is likely to get even bigger! But not just because more dispensaries are opening.

Yes - medical and recreational marijuana has been legalized in New Jersey since April 2022, and it's been a booming industry for the state ever since.

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The only thing is, once you legally purchase your weed, there's been no designated place in New Jersey where you can consume it in public. But it looks like that's about to change!

Weed lounges are coming to New Jersey

What's a weed lounge? You could also call them consumption lounges - but they're designated public spaces where the consumption of marijuana via vapors, smoking and edibles are permitted.

Cannabis regulators recently proposed a set of weed lounge rules at the Cannabis Regulatory Commission's first meeting of the year, according to NJ.com.

Remember when there were only 20 or so recreational/medical dispensaries in New Jersey when weed was first legalized? There are now more than 90 dispensaries open in 20 different counties, according to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

From July 2022 to June 2023, New Jersey dispensaries raked in a whopping $734 million - most of those purchases from recreational-use buyers. Now there could be room for even more revenue with the introduction of weed lounges.

What would the rules for a consumption lounge be?

Here are the rules for a consumption lounge:

• An application would have to be submitted and endorsed by the NJ-CRC.
• The sale of tobacco products, alcohol and food would be prohibited
• People under the age of 21 would not be permitted inside the lounge (ID required)
• Medical cannabis patients would be allowed to bring in cannabis products from other retailers.
• Consumers would be allowed to bring food or have food delivered, if allowed by the business and municipality. (Cool!)

We'll see if this idea gets anymore traction. Would you be down to light up in a weed lounge with your friends?