By Jonathan Rose, Content Manager and Strategist at Vangst
New Jersey is joining the East Coast adult-use (recreational) cannabis movement this week as it opens up sales to all adults over the age of 21, and an entire new industry is being born. If you’re looking to break into what will be a booming New Jersey cannabis industry, getting your Cannabis Business ID from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission is the first place to begin.
Here's the catch: Though adult-use sales launch on April 21, there doesn't appear to be an official application portal — yet.
“Usually the answer with New Jersey is ‘not yet’ if there’s a question," said Emily Seelman, who is CEO of Canna Business Services and assisted Vangst with research surrounding the New Jersey rules.
There is some guidance in temporary rules in the New Jersey Administrative Code 1730 that was passed in September 2021 and is set to expire in September 2022.
We will update this story when final rules are posted and New Jersey opens up its application process. For now, though, better to be prepared so you have an advantage over the competition when the time comes.
Think of your New Jersey Cannabis Business ID as your driver’s license for weed. You can’t legally drive without a license, and you can’t legally work in any New Jersey cannabis business where THC product is grown, extracted, sold or even present without your ID.
Because want you to be prepared to start your New Jersey cannabis career as quickly and easily as possible, we've made a quick overview of how it works:
- Make sure you’re eligible
- Get trained
- Be ready to spend $25
- Apply once the state opens up the process to the public
Step 1: First, let’s make sure you’re eligible.
Before you apply for your New Jersey Cannabis Business ID, be sure you qualify. Here’s what you need to know in order to make that determination:
- Must be at least 21 years old and have a current and valid ID issued by New Jersey, another state or the federal government (think: passport)
- Must have completed an authorized training course (more on that below)
- Must have authorized and cleared a criminal history background check
While the background check process itself is still to be determined, some experts believe the state itself will do the check while others think it will be contracted out to third-party vendors.
For now, according to state rules and Canna Business Services CEO Emily Seelman, the company itself must submit paperwork and agree that its employees will be background-checked in the future. Fingerprinting is also an upcoming feature of the New Jersey badging process.
According to New Jersey law, these are the crimes in the state's code that could prevent you from being issued an ID:
- (A) N.J.S.A. 2C:35-4.1.b (Booby traps in manufacturing or distribution facilities)
- (B) N.J.S.A. 2C:35-6 (Employing a juvenile in a drug distribution scheme, or a similar indictable offense involving the use of a minor to dispense or distribute a controlled dangerous substance or controlled substance analog);
- (C) N.J.S.A. 2C:35-8 (Distribution to persons under age 18); and
- (D) N.J.S.A. 2C:35-11.1(Counterfeit drugs, medical devices); and
- (E) N.J.S.A. 2C:36-5 (Delivering drug paraphernalia to person under 18 years of age); and
- ii. That may include any State, other state, or Federal offense involving fraud, deceit, or embezzlement
Step 2: Get trained
The state of New Jersey wants you to know what you’re doing when you start working with cannabis, so it requires that all NJ Cannabis Business ID registrants complete a training course from a cannabis license applicant, license holder or a third party that has been approved by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission. Luckily, the state provides a comprehensive list of professional certificate programs at its website.
The education you receive must include, at a minimum:
- History of cannabis use, prohibition and legalization
- Common cultivation techniques and strain or cultivar varieties
- Chemotypes of cannabis
- Packaging, labeling and advertising
- Cultivation and manufacturing processes
- Health education regarding the risk of cannabis use and over-use, including the risk of dependency on the plant
Step 3: Save $25 for the application. That's how much money the state currently says the application process will cost.
Step 4: Apply when the state allows it
Rest assured that Vangst will update this story and our expert team will be ready when the state allows for individual New Jersey Cannabis Business ID applications.
