The Garden State just got greener because today marks the first day of recreational cannabis sales in New Jersey. The Botanist Williamstown dispensary celebrated the launch by welcoming former NFL player and Last Prisoner Project Ambassador Marvin Washington as the first adult-use customer.
At 10 a.m. this morning, Washington made the first purchase at the Botanist Williamstown as part of the store’s opening celebrations. The dispensary also welcomed New Jersey CannaBusiness Association’s President Edmund DeVeaux, as well as Rich “Big Daddy” Salgado, the CEO of Coastal Advisors, LLC Insurance Consultants, to celebrate.
Developed by Acreage Holdings, The Botanist dispensaries have operated in the New Jersey medical market for nearly five years. To accommodate the influx of new sales in the recreational market, the company hired more than 25 new employees and is currently seeking additional hires from economically disadvantaged areas. Each store has added additional checkout stations to create a more efficient experience for patients and new customers.
“During the first two hours of adult-use sales, The Botanist Williamstown and Egg Harbor Township locations saw approximately a 150% increase in foot traffic with customer lines around their stores and down the block,” said Sharon Ali, Regional General Manager, Mid-Atlantic, Acreage.
To maintain priority for medical patients, The Botanist stores are operating with separate lines and menus. Patients also have priority parking spaces and exclusive access to curbside pickup. Opening day hours for adult-use customers are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., giving patients 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. to shop without adult-use customers.
We’ll be keeping an eye on New Jersey’s new adult-use market, which is projected to hit $2.6 billion by 2026.
