New Jersey seeks applicants for new medical marijuana firms

TRENTON, N.J. – New Jersey is seeking applicants to operate as many as 108 new medical marijuana businesses.

The state Health Department announced Monday that the applications for the new licenses will be available July 1 and must be submitted by Aug. 15.

It marks the first time the state will issue separate licenses for growers, processors and retailers.

The state will license as many as 38 marijuana businesses in the state’s northern region, up to 38 more in the central region and 32 in the southern region. Of those 108 licenses, the state wants as many as 24 growers, 30 processors and 54 retailers.

New Jersey currently has six medical marijuana businesses in operation, and they all grow, process and sell marijuana in-house. Six other providers were selected last year but haven’t been licensed yet.