October 4, 2018

CSG Law Alert: Welcome Back; and Three Tips to Help You Prepare for Future Cannabis Licensing Opportunities in NJ

After a brief hiatus, we welcome you back to CSG’s CannaBiz Law Blog. The August 31st RFA deadline was challenging, but I am pleased to report that an all hands on deck effort on behalf of our clients made for a successful application process.

With the deadline now behind us, and a fresh perspective on the challenges and opportunities future rounds of cannabis licensing in New Jersey may present, I was invited to author another guest column for NJ.com’s weekly NJ Cannabis Insider report (huge thank you to their editor, Justin Zaremba).

This time around, I thought it would be best to outline practical insights and takeaways gleaned leading up to August 31 since it has already been reported that there will be additional rounds of licensing available in the future — and a vote for recreational legalization may come as soon as this month. Both will undoubtedly present opportunities for those looking to service, operate or invest in the cannabis sector.

So, what should these aspiring entrants keep in mind as new opportunities emerge? The three factors detailed in my guest column include:

• Now is the time to prepare for the next application round.

• Legal counsel and/or a general consultant will be integral to finding a willing host community, as well as a properly zoned locale.

• If there are underserved areas in the Northern, Central or Southern regions of New Jersey, applicants should consider locating there first.

I encourage you to read the full article here, and stay tuned for further updates from CSG’s Cannabis Law Group.