New Jersey Misses Deadline to Begin Accepting Industry Applications

The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) has missed a statutory deadline to begin accepting industry applications, NJ.com reports. The deadline had been set for September 18—30 days after the agency had adopted its initial rules.

The commission last week did approve a new licensing platform for cannabis permits. An unnamed commission source told NJ.com that, in addition to not meeting the deadline, officials had no immediate plans to open applications. The agency plans to publish notice in the New Jersey register that lists the application filing start date and clarifies what materials an applicant will need to submit, the source told NJ.com.

Mike McQueeny, a cannabis attorney with Foley Hoag, told NJ.com that there are few consequences for missing the deadline; however, someone could file a writ of mandamus which could compel a court order for a CRC to fulfill the licensing obligations. McQueeny added that by including deadlines in the law, “the Legislature loud and clear said: Let’s get this moving.”

The commission has still yet to issue 24 medical cannabis licenses approved in 2019—which the CRC source told NJ.com is the agency’s “highest priority” but added it “can do more than one thing at once.” In all, the agency had received 150 medical cannabis applications in the 2019 round.

Under the reforms approved by lawmakers, industry rules were required by the CRC within six months of the law’s signing and within six months after that, the agency was supposed to pick a date for the launch of sales.