- Cultivated
- Posts
- Move over, NY. NJ’s got a billion-dollar cannabis market
Move over, NY. NJ’s got a billion-dollar cannabis market
Plus, new evidence that cannabis is effective for pain relief
Happy Wednesday everybody.
We’ve got ambitious growth goals for our little cannabis media company this year — help us out by sharing this newsletter with your friends, colleagues, mom, or worst enemies. We’ll take anyone who’s curious about cannabis.
More seriously, if you want to chat partnership opportunities, just reply to this email and we’ll get back to you.
Let’s get to it.
-JB & JR
This newsletter is 579 words or about a 5-minute read.
💡 What’s the big deal?
NJ, NJ
New Jersey’s billion-dollar cannabis market 💰
Move over, New York: Neighboring New Jersey sold $1 billion worth of cannabis last year, according to numbers released by the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC).
Zoom in: While New York steals the headlines, Jersey’s cannabis industry is cranking. Legal shops in the state sold just over $1 billion worth of cannabis in 2024, a 25% increase over 2023, reports NJ.com.
The CRC says those sales drove an estimated $43 million of tax revenue for the state.
What they’re saying: “We are proud of the remarkable growth achieved in 2024, which highlights the growing trust consumers have in New Jersey’s regulated cannabis market and the economic opportunities it provides for businesses of all sizes and classes,” Chris Riggs, the acting director of the CRC, said.
“This momentum sets a solid foundation for continued success in the years ahead.”
And more: Ohio, which opened its legal cannabis market earlier this year, sold $242 million worth of pot, reports the Ohio Capital Journal.
-JB
📣 Quotable
“Why do you think we’re having such difficult problems figuring out where to put the marijuana dispensaries?,” Outgoing Maryland Gov. John Carney, a Democrat, told Spotlight Delaware.
“People think, ‘Oh, it’s okay—but not in my neighborhood.’ And it doesn’t matter what neighborhood you live in. Nobody wants that liquor store. Nobody wants that marijuana dispensary down the corner.”
Carney allowed the bill that legalized cannabis in the state to become law without his signature.
JOIN US
Cannabis Reform in the Second Trump Administration
We're less than two weeks from Inauguration Day, so what might the second Trump Administration hold for cannabis banking?
Join us on January 23 at 3pm Eastern for a free webinar presented by our partners at Shield Compliance and the Association for Cannabis Banking.
The webinar features Tony Repanich, CEO of Shield Compliance, Natalie Fertig the federal cannabis reporter at POLITICO, and our very own Editor-in-Chief Jeremy Berke.
Together, they’ll delve into cannabis reform in 2025, what to expect on the rescheduling front, and steps bankers should take now to ensure they are positioned competitively.
⏩ Quick hits
Wisconsin Governor calls for legalization vote 👀
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, a Democrat, called on lawmakers to allow state residents to decide whether to legalize cannabis in the state via the budget process. In a statement, Evers said over 60% of Wisconsinites believe cannabis should be legal for adults, though the Republican majority in the state legislature have consistently blocked proposals.
🔬 Science & research
Cannabis and pain relief 💊
In states where medical marijuana is legal, payments from opioid manufacturers to doctors have decreased significantly — meaning that marijuana could be a promising alternative for pain relief, according to new research from the University at Buffalo School of Management.
📰 What we’re reading
Predictions: 2025 to Be a Very Big Year in Cannabis | The National Law Review
What did you think of today's Cultivated Daily? |