Category Archives: Medical Marijuana Edibles

NJ Transitions Medical Cannabis Stores Into Recreational to Keep Up With the Demand

Since the recent legalization of recreational cannabis in New Jersey, on April 21, 2022, the sales of cannabis have increased massively. In just the first month, the state reported more than $24 million in recreational cannabis sales! These sales were made at 13 medical cannabis stores; however, there has been a clear need of opening up more stores. 

These 13 stores were owned by Green Thumb Industries Inc., Curaleaf Holdings Inc., Verano Holdings Corp., Columbia Care Inc., Ascend Wellness Holdings Inc., and Terrascend Corp.

Three more recreational marjuana shops were set up in New Jersey just last week. There are now a total of 16 cannabis stores where New Jersey citizens can purchase adult cannabis legally. These stores will not only make up for the increasing demand, but also provide a great opportunity for growth. 

Related – All You Need to Know About New Jersey Cannabis Laws

Where Are the Stores Located and How Will They Help the Locals

The marijuana stores are located in Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown. They were already operational, with the permission to sell only medical marijuana. As of now, they have transitioned from selling only to medical patients under the Garden State Dispensary brand to also selling to recreational users. 

Approvals were granted last month, in May 2022. Although the transition took a while, it will help many users in the Jersey Shore communities, as residents were severely opposed to the sale of recreational cannabis in the area. Users had to drive up to 50 miles to visit a recreational marijuana store. This was also a big hassle, keeping in mind the hike in gas prices. 

Even though the recreational use of marijuana was legalized well over two months ago, there were no outlets in central New Jersey where residents could purchase it. Millions of residents in this area were unable to get their hands on adult weed, but can now do the same since the three new stores have begun sales. They also no longer have to worry about getting in any sort of trouble. 

As per estimations, New Jersey should become the state with third-largest contributions to overall legal cannabis sales by 2026. 

However, as demand grows and more products are introduced to the cannabis market rapidly, there are high chances of prices increasing. It is speculated that consumers may have to pay a hefty price for recreational marijuana in NJ very soon.

When Did Sales Start? 

Recreational sales at the cannabis stores in  Woodbridge, Union, and Eatontown began on 15th June, 2022, Wednesday at 10 AM. Now anyone above the age of 21 can walk into these stores and purchase marijauna without a medical card. However, buyers need to carry a government-issued photo ID for age confirmation. 

A few extra tips for shopping at a recreational marijuana store include: 

• Present your ID at the front desk and wait for confirmation. 
• Wait for your turn to get called to the register if you have any questions to clarify, otherwise you can continue exploring the options at the store. 
• Most stores should also have the option to order online and pick up from the store.

You can then get in line and continue with the purchase just like at any other store. The state sales tax is 6.625% with additional excise and local taxes. 

What Does This Mean for the Residents of N.J.? 

As even the communities that were highly opposed to recreational marijuana sales begin to accept it, let’s take a look at the future of cannabis in New Jersey.

There are about 130,000 MMJ patients in NJ right now, with around 800,000 potential recreational users. This implies that these people were previously unable to get their hands on marijuana. Perhaps the reason may be that their conditions were not severe enough to qualify for a medical card. 

Regardless, it is now much easier for residents of central New Jersey to get their hands on cannabis legally. This also means that they won’t have to look elsewhere and can safely purchase at cannabis stores. Doing so will also ensure that their health is not put in jeopardy. 

Removing the stigma and regulations around cannabis consumption also helps innocent people stay out of trouble. In 2017, there were 37,623 arrests for marijuana possession and distribution. However, there is no clarity on how many of the accused had genuine intent of selling. 

Do You Still Need a Medical Card in New Jersey to Purchase Cannabis?

If you live in an area where no recreational cannabis stores are located then you may have to get a medical card. If you want to purchase cannabis at an adult-use store, you will have to make sure the shop you visit is allowed to sell to recreational users. 

However, the benefits of getting a medical card are still relevant. You can read about them in detail here. 

If you are looking for a quick and affordable doctor’s recommendation, it is best to get your medical marijuana card NJ online. Visit MD Ganja for an easy and hassle-free recommendation process. 

Cooking With Cannabis As A Novice

Have you ever tried cooking with cannabis? You will find that many recipes are as simple as cooking anything else! Moreover, such recipes are great for those who wish to quit smoking or find store-bought edibles strong.

However, today we will not be talking about cannabis recipes, but how to cook with it the right way. So, keep reading if you want to learn the basics of preparing edibles at home.

Also Read: How to Consume Marijuana Edibles Safely?

Preparations

Similar to following any recipe, you’ll need to prepare a few things before starting, so let’s look at what these things are.

Choosing a Strain

The first step here may be the most crucial one, as the strain you choose will have a major impact on the recipe. Therefore, you should choose to cook with the marijuana strain that you find suitable.

If you have never consumed it before, it would be best to learn about strains with low amounts of THC and get the dispensary staff’s help. If you have some experience with the strains, you can also experience and come up with unique and fun recipes!

Finding a Recipe You Like

Although marijuana may be the main ingredient, it’s not the only one. So, you need to select a recipe first in order to procure the other materials you’ll be cooking with.

You can either take the easy route by simply adding cannabis to a recipe you’ve attempted many times, or a recipe you love. The options are endless and you can choose just about anything.

Basics For the Kitchen

Of course, you’ll require the necessary utensils for cooking. However, time is just as important, as cooking with weed needs patience. Also, before you start following a recipe, you will need to measure your marijuana carefully, so you can experience the desirable effects.

How to Measure the Cannabis Dose

Understanding dosage is important to calculate how much cannabis you should use in different recipes. You can easily find edible calculators online, where you will have to input the following:

• Quantity of Cannabis
• Quantity of butter/ oil in the recipe
• CBD and THC content of the strain

 

The results should tell you how much mg cannabis should be used per serving of the dish.

Remember, you should take this amount seriously, especially as a newcomer. Edibles are already much stronger than other methods of consumption, so you might over consume if you increase the dosage. That would lead to some unpleasant side effects, such as vomiting, headache, etc.

This is also valid for experienced users, because a cookie with the same amount of THC may not be as potent as another dish. So, it is necessary to take the recommended cannabis dosage seriously.

On the other hand, some people may not find the dosage to be low, instead they may feel it is too high. You can opt for one of the following solutions, in such a situation:

• Consume smaller portions at a time.
• Decrease the quantity when infusing cannabis
• If you’re using infused butter/ oil with a marijuana strain, swap it out for ingredients that are non-infused.Now that you are aware of how to select a suitable strain and the dosing, let’s head over to the kitchen!
  

  Let’s Start Cooking With Cannabis!

When you bring cannabis to the kitchen, it is important to remember that you cannot just add it to your food. You must make sure to decarboxylate it first. This is a crucial step because the chemical compounds in the strain flower are present in their acid forms. For instance the acid form of THC is THCA, and for CBD it is CBDA.

Our bodies cannot do much with these acid forms, meaning that simply adding a cannabis flower to a recipe won’t have potent effects. You may even waste most of your marijuana by not allowing it to reach its full potency.
Follow these steps to decarboxylate marijuana:

• Preheat your oven to 230°F
• Break the flower into smaller pieces by hand. Avoid using a grinder/ blender.
• Cover your baking tray with parchment paper and place the pieces on it. Do not let them overlap.
• Place the tray in the oven for about 40-50 minutes.
• Retrieve the plate and allow it to cool.
• Store in a sealed container until you are ready to use it.

What to Do and Not Do

Now that you have your marijuana ready, we can finally get to the cooking process! If you plan on using cannabis butter/ oil, make sure to adjust the quantity with how much flower you plan on using. Also, you should remember the do’s and don’ts of cooking edibles.

• You may be used to cooking on high flame, and you may also think that heating marijuana flowers is the norm, since people do it while smoking too. However, that is not the case, and cooking a flower at very high temperatures can be detrimental to its quality. You have to keep the temperature below 360°F at all times.
• When using canna butter/ canna oil, it is best to use them at the test. You may be tempted to use it at the beginning like normal oil but that will affect its potency. It is better to infuse the cannabis when the recipe is almost done. You can remove your pan from the cooking station, and add the oil/ butter.
• Do not rush mixing the butter/ oil into the recipe. If you are not through with it, the THC distribution will be uneven. As a result, some portions will have a much stronger potency than others. If you are making something like chocolate, which settles cool, the THC may also settle at the bottom. You can combat this problem by using a container with a flat base. Read below for more tips on storing your edibles.

How to Store Edibles Properly?

An easy way to remember how to store edibles is doing exactly what you would with normal food. For instance, cookies go in the pantry, brownies and savory items go in the fridge, etc. However, there are a few particular things to keep in mind, such as:

• Make sure you use a sealed container.
• Label your edibles, so others in the house won’t consume it by mistake.
• Always keep out of reach of children. The effect of the edible depends on the BMI of the consumer, and since children are much smaller in size, they have a high chance of suffering from acute cannabis intoxication. If you have children in the house, it would be best to get a child-proof container.

What to Do If You Consume Too Much Cannabis?

This is a common occurrence amongst people having edibles for the first time. Edibles are much stronger than other methods of consumption, but they also take a long time to act. So, you may think they’re not working and consume too much.

If you consumed just a little more than you can handle, try drinking lemon water. This will help you stay hydrated and neutralize the terpenes as well as the dehydration caused by THC.

If you consumed a lot more than you should have, you can either wait for it to pass if the side effects aren’t unbearable. Or, you could visit the emergency room if the situation is tough to get under control.

Conclusion

You are now all set to go and try as many cannabis recipes as you want! However, we would suggest you apply for a medical marijuana card NJ to save big on your cannabis bills. MD Ganja is an amazing online platform to get your card within minutes!

You can also learn more about the benefits of getting the card in New Jersey in detail here.