
The facilities said they would reserve parking spaces for patients as well as keep hours specifically for patients only. To get approval, the centers agreed that the coming influx of recreational buyers won’t interrupt access for patients. Three are in the south, and one is in central New Jersey. Three of the seven facilities, known as alternative treatment centers, are in the northern part of the state.

There also are 37 states, including New Jersey, that have legalized medical marijuana. New Jersey is one of 18 states, along with the District of Columbia, that have legalized recreational marijuana. The news comes about a year after the state’s regulatory commission started operating, and a year and a half after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to permit recreational marijuana for people 21 and older.


“This is a historic step in our work to create a new cannabis industry,” Murphy said.
