EDITOR’S NOTE: NJ Cannabis Insider is hosting a free webinar April 28 to dissect the recent Monmouth Poll relating to cannabis legalization.

The final medical marijuana dispensary licensed by New Jersey in 2018 can start growing cannabis, the state Health Department said Monday.

Justice Grown in Ewing received its permit to cultivate last week, the department said in a release. The brings the state total to 12.

While a dozen alternative treatment centers can now grow weed, only seven have permission to sell it. Two of the companies also have satellite dispensaries, for a total of nine storefronts.

The remaining five alternative treatment cetners, which received permission to grow weed earlier this year, include Verano in Readington, MPX NJ in Pleasantville, TerrAscend in Boonton Township and Columbia Care NJ in Vineland, in addition to Justice Grown. Each must still receive permits to dispense from the Health Department to allow them to serve patients.

The most outspoken of the state’s medical marijuana program’s 75,000 patients have long lamented a lack of dispensaries, saying they face long commutes and sometimes shortages in products. The coronavirus outbreak has only augmented the issues, with patients rushing out to stock up and finding hours-long lines at several dispensaries.

“We’re very excited to really start serving the patients in New Jersey’s medical marijuana program,” said Todd Johnson, the executive vice president of Justice Grown and head of the company’s New Jersey operation.

“Coronavirus is making things more difficult for everybody. I think every industry is facing its own impact," he told NJ Advance Media. "The cannabis industry is thankful the that government has deemed us as essential businesses. Our top priorities are the patients and the the program, making sure that we get the best quality medical cannabis for them; but also keeping our employees safe and healthy.”

The Mercer County dispensary is slated to open later this year, likely in August or September, Johnson said. The company plans to open two additional dispensaries, according to a press release.

The state plans to license as many as 24 other medical pot businesses around the state, but had to put those plans on hold after several rejected applicants sued. They alleged the Health Department had wrongfully rejected their applicants due to a technical glitch that rendered their PDFs unreadable, and have urged licensers to reconsider.

A state appellate court then ordered the department to cease its review of the applications, leaving 150 potential operators in limbo.

Despite the shutdown of many businesses across the state, New Jersey deemed medical cannabis essential, and those dispensaries which had not yet opened could continue construction.

Still, the dispensaries have yet to set opening dates.

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Amanda Hoover may be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj.