New Jersey’s Lone Marijuana Dispensary Suffering with Patient Backlog, Clashes with State
By Travis Tormey posted in Drug Charges on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
New Jersey’s lone marijuana dispensary is struggling through patient backlogs since it is the only one of its kind in the State and it is trying to service the needs of patients throughout New Jersey. It is also receiving mixed messages from the State of New Jersey. First, Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair received a letter from the State criticizing it’s inventory tracking problems as “inexcusable” and threatening to shut it down. The very next day they received another letter from the State expressing appreciation for the work they have accomplished thus far but urging them to do more to combat the large patient backlog of hundreds of patients eager to buy their products.
Talk about mixed messages. Greenleaf’s owners say any issues with inventory tracking were fixed months ago. They are also angry that they are bearing the burden of treating the entire state. They were assured that several other dispensaries would be open by now which would alleviate the demand on their store and the large patient backlog they currently have.
According to the Star-Ledger article, “[o]pen since Dec. 6, Greenleaf has served 114 patients at least once, according to the health department, and the remaining 562 registered patients can expect a two-month delay in getting an appointment.”
Health Commission Mary Dowd said four of the five potential new center operators have secured locations to cultivate and sell medical marijuana. Two of the four – Compassionate Care Centers of America Foundation in Woodbridge and Compassionate Care Foundation in Egg Harbor – are close to completing the background checks, site plans and other requirements necessary to earn a permit to start growing, she said.
Hopefully several other centers can open shortly to alleviate some of the burden on Greenleaf and allow patients who need their products to obtain them without having to wait two months for an appointment. This leads to people obtaining marijuana illegally and defeats the whole purpose of the centers in the first place.
