Nearly 88,000 marijuana convictions and pending cases have been vacated or dismissed since July 1, 2021, the New Jersey Judiciary announced on Monday.

These are the first of up to 360,000 cases and convictions that are eligible for vacation, dismissal and automatic expungement “in the coming months.”

New Jersey has vacated or dismissed tens of thousands of marijuana convictions as the state continues to work out the details of its new legal cannabis market.

The state Judiciary has dealt with 88,000 cases so far, it announced Monday evening. These are the first wave of an estimated 360,000 identified that qualify for expungement.

Cases that have been vacated or dismissed still need to be expunged. That’s the step that ultimately clears a person’s record. That phase will come in the next few months, according to the judiciary.

The next six weeks will set the tone for the next year of legal weed in New Jersey.

The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission is set to meet Tuesday, at a time when marijuana is at the forefront of municipal government meetings as local officials try to figure out if and how deep they want to get involved in the cannabis industry. 

In March, the Orange City Council took a preliminary vote, 4-2, in favor of an ordinance that would ban recreational marijuana sales within its borders.

The vote, which happened following the first reading of the ordinance, drew the ire of many in the community, including several business owners who are preparing to open recreational marijuana operations in the predominately Black township. The ordinance would need to be passed again at a second reading to become law.

The cannabis industry often provides projections on the billions that are made by the adult-use and medical market. There is, however, a projection that’s often left out of the conversation when it comes to legalized cannabis — the economics of the legacy market that came before it and bore the brunt of the casualties in the War on Drugs.

The new cannabis shop on Route 66 had a spa aesthetic: light-colored wood, spacious layout, greenery. Two miles outside Asbury Park, Zen Leaf Neptune was greeted warmly the other day by tourism officials of the iconic Jersey Shore town.

“It’s a revenue driver,” said Sylvia Sylvia, (@sylviasquared) executive director of Asbury Park’s Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a legal business, and that’s what a chamber of commerce does. We support businesses. We support tourism.”

But don’t look for Stone Harbor to become Stoned Harbor any time soon.

New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission held its second meeting Thursday afternoon, but much about the new legal weed industry remains a mystery.

The new, five-member commission has lots of authority over the cannabis industry and a four-month deadline to set up its regulations. It will determine when sales can start to people 21 and older, recommend how tax revenue be spent and award licenses to dispensaries, growers and more.

Aside from the many negative impacts of illegal grow operations (banned insecticides, illegal diversion of stream water, unchecked chemical runoff), legal operations can also pack a devastating environmental punch.

With both 420 and Earth Day (4/22) being celebrated this week, there’s an opportunity to take a good, hard look at the environmental impacts of the cannabis industry as well as legislative responses to those challenges.

Real estate is one of the more difficult aspects of the cannabis industry. Securing a license is tough but getting your location is even tougher. Each state has different regulations and restrictions, which combined with unique real estate markets makes finding and securing property essential. It’s an expensive endeavor and one in which traditional mortgages aren’t typically an option. 

This presentation will focus on the New England and New York area cannabis real estate markets. It will cover the following states: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.