Cannabis Dispensary Roundup: Where To Buy Rec Marijuana In New Jersey, CBD Spas & More Store Openings

New Jersey legal recreational cannabis sales will launch on April 21, after a series of setbacks and 17 months after New Jerseyans chose to legalize the use of recreational cannabis in a ballot measure.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission recently approved 34 conditional licenses and agreed that seven of the state's 10 medical cannabis companies could begin sales.

The commission gave initial approval to alternative treatment centers, which are multi-state operators, to begin operating. They include Acreage Holdings ACRDF, Ascend Wellness AAWH, Curaleaf Holdings CURLF, Green Thumb Industries GTBIF, Columbia Care Inc. CCHWF, TerrAscend TRSSF and Verano Holdings VRNOF.

The seven treatment centers are now clear to sell adult-use cannabis at  the following 13 locations across the state:

• The Botanist by CCF, Egg Harbor Township (Acreage Holdings)
• The Botanist by CCF, Williamstown (Monroe), (Acreage Holdings)
• Ascend New Jersey, Rochelle Park
• Columbia Care, Vineland
• The Cannabist, Deptford (Columbia Care)
• Curaleaf, Bellmawr
• Curaleaf, Edgewater Park
• RISE Dispensaries, Paterson
• RISE Dispensaries, Bloomfield
• The Apothecarium, Maplewood (TerrAscend)
• The Apothecarium, Phillipsburg (TerrAscend)
• Zen Leaf, Elizabeth (Verano Holdings)
• Zen Leaf, Lawrence (Verano Holdings)

Europe's First CBD Spa Opens In Switzerland

Schlosshotel Zermatt, the first CBD Spa in Europe, was inaugurated at the foot of the Matterhorn mountain  - famous for its ski resorts and for being the logo of the Toblerone chocolate brand - in the Swiss Alps on April 3.

The spa offers relaxation therapies such as 80-minute massages (for EUR 241), reflexology, peeling treatments, neck and head massages, and alpine herbal compresses.

Alex Perren, the owner of the spa, invested several million Swiss francs to acquire the property in 2019, reported Welt. He wanted to offer something special, because "everyone knows an alpine spa."

In Switzerland, CBD is unrestricted, making this luxury wellness experience completely legal and safe. Meanwhile, there are several movements that lead to the possible regulation of recreational cannabis.

High Tide Opens Two New Canna Cabana Stores To Mark 4/20

High Tide Inc. HITI HITI 2LYA will mark the annual 4/20 cannabis holiday with the opening of two new stores in Alberta and Ontario.

The new stores are located at 172 Leva Avenue in Red Deer County, Alberta, and 595 Fanshawe Park Road West in London, Ontario.

These openings will bring High Tide's total number of branded retail locations across Canada to 115 and also represent the company's 62nd location in Alberta and 35th location in Ontario, respectively.

4/20 Prize Package

As a celebration of the Cabana Club having surpassed 420,000 members, High Tide will be awarding an exclusive prize package to a randomly-selected member of the Cabana Club on April 20, 2022, at 4:20 PM Mountain Time.

The prize package will consist of a car valued at approximately $42,000, or a cash equivalent, as well as an all-expenses-paid roundtrip flight to Calgary and dinner with Raj Grover, the company's president and CEO.

"More store sites remain under construction in other jurisdictions across Canada, and we anticipate announcing the opening of these locations over the coming weeks," Grover added.

Green Thumb Opens RISE Mankato, 77th Retail Location Nationwide

Green Thumb - Rise dispensaries owner – has opened another RISE store in Minnesota on Thursday, April 14.

Located at 1400 Madison Avenue East in Mankato, the new store joins the company's other five other retail locations throughout the state, including Eagan, Hibbing, St. Cloud, St. Paul, and Willmar. Formerly known as LeafLine, each store was rebranded to RISE earlier this month.

"We are excited to expand our retail footprint to six locations in Minnesota and our first in the southern region of the state," Ben Kovler, the company's CEO said.

In addition, profits from the first day of sales will be donated to Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota.

"This generous donation will support Habitat's pursuit in advancing equity in affordable homeownership so more Minnesota families can affordably own a home," said Cristen Incitti, CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota.

Trulieve Opens Two Medical Cannabis Dispensary In Florida

Trulieve Cannabis Corp TCNNF has expanded its Florida retail footprint by opening two new stores.

The new shop - located at 15620 Summerlin Rd. in Fort Myers – has kicked off medical cannabis sales on Wednesday, April 13.

Located at 6601 Gall Blvd. Suite #1, the new medical cannabis dispensary in Zephyrhills, also offers on-site consultations to help patients obtain appropriate medical products and dosages to ensure optimal cannabis experiences.

Trulieve patients across Florida can choose from the selection of THC and CBD products in a variety of consumption methods, including smokable flower, concentrates, edibles, capsules, syringes, tinctures, topical creams, vaporizers, and more. Patients have access to brands such as Bellamy Brothers, Bhang, Binske, Blue River, Black Tuna, Love's Oven, O.pen and Sunshine Cannabis.

Kim Rivers, the company's CEO said she is "excited to expand access to medical to more patients in Florida and build strong relationships" in both Zephyrhills and Fort Myers communities.

"Our company is driven by our commitment to providing tailored, high-quality patient care in a safe and comfortable environment," added Rivers, who will deliver a keynote at the upcoming Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference to be held in Miami this week.

Khiron Opens New Zerenia Clinic & New Retail Pharmacy In Colombia

Khiron Life Sciences Corp. KHRNF is opening a new Zerenia clinic location and a new retail pharmacy in Colombia.

The clinic is located in Bogota, with a maximum annual capacity of 40,000 consults per year.

In addition, the company has opened its first retail pharmacy location within the El Ensueño shopping mall. This pharmacy will allow the company to sell medical cannabis products to patients outside its own Zerenia network and dispense high and low THC medical cannabis to insurance companies in the country.

Alvaro Torres, Khiron's CEO and director said that the company has "become a clear leader in the Colombian medical cannabis market because of its unique go-to-market strategy, anchored in our Zerenia clinic model."

"This new expansion within Bogota capitalizes on the Colombian government's decision on mandatory insurance coverage, and we aim to get closer to our patients and insurers, to improve quality of life," said Torres, who is joining Rivers at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference as one of the speakers.

Photo: Courtesy of Mike Petrucci on Unsplash