By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
Recreational marijuana became legal in New Jersey on April 21; so on April 23, I decided to pay a visit to The Botanist, a dispensary operated through Compassionate Care, LLC.
The Egg Harbor Township site was difficult to find, as there were no signs on the roads close to the location. It’s hidden between warehouses and industrial buildings off Delilah Road near Atlantic City International Airport. Once we pulled into the parking lot, we knew we were at the right place.
The line stretching across the outside of the dispensary was overwhelming. People of all ages and races stood down the steps and on the sidewalk, waiting to meet with a “budtender” to select their greens.
Most of the people in line appeared white, around 50 years old, and wearing casual attire. I was told by security that the wait was approximately two hours long.
Ramona Cross, a retail worker, had been standing in line for more than an hour. Cross said she has been eager for the legalization of cannabis since she attended college in 1980. She was looking forward to enjoying a pre-rolled joint with her husband and adult son by a bonfire.
“I love how marijuana helps us to relax and enjoy the evening,” she said. “I’m glad that a majority of people in New Jersey can finally agree that marijuana is a good thing.” Inside the dispensary, a smaller line formed near the pricing signs. This queue was for people with medical marijuana cards issued by their doctor. These customers would pay the same price for medical marijuana, but pay less in state taxes than their recreational counterparts.
Brian Sickora, general manager for Acreage Holdings, which owns Compassionate Care, said long lines have been anticipated ever since recreational use of cannabis was legalized two years ago.
Since legalization took effect April 21, The Botanist has faced three to four times the amount of typical customers coming through their doors on an average day. “We are always prioritizing medical patients,” said Sickora.
Signs above this queue described every available product, priced at $45 to $60 per ounce. Strands like “Love Potion” and “Danger Haze” can be purchased, with each causing different effects. You can buy pre-rolled joints or loose buds, and you can pick up specialties like edibles or hemp, too.
Differences in state and federal law create some problems for the dispensary. The federal government still prohibits recreational marijuana use, so federally regulated banks cannot process payments for cannabis. The Botanist takes cash payment as well as locally issued bank cards, but if your money is deposited with Bank of America, Wells Fargo or any other federal bank, you’re out of luck.
Problems also arise for dispensaries seeking business loans, which play a big role in purchasing real estate.
Sickora said the average customer for recreational marijuana is a middle-aged white man who hasn’t smoked buds since high school or college.
“These kinds of people generally don’t have a dealer, and they aren’t sure of what kind of strand they’d prefer. Our budtenders help these guys decide what kind of high they are looking for, and provide high-quality, organic cannabis,” he said.
Sickora, who has been manager of the dispensary for the past eight years, shuffled me toward the back of the budtender counters and into the massive warehouse behind the dispensary. More than 200,000 marijuana plants are cultivated there, cut from mother plants until they are almost five feet tall.
The indoor farm boasts multiple rooms for growing, with different humidities and light. Some rooms have 90 percent humidity with 12 hours of light (mimicking summer) and others are bright for five hours per day with lower humidity to limit the growth of adult plants. It takes approximately five months for each plant to fully grow (and be ready for harvest).
In a smaller room, technicians weigh buds that have been cured and ground on kitchen scales, and roll them into joints. The smell in this room is so strong that I felt dizzy. The technicians wore masks, but I could not imagine working with cannabis for eight hours per day. Brian said each technician was trained after being hired, so the role didn’t require previous experience.
Ten thousand gallon tanks can be found in the corner of each room. Sickora said water is their most utilized resource, closely followed by electricity. Engineers and scientists on staff ensure that each marijuana plant receives enough light, water and food to thrive for years to come.
On another end of the warehouse, vape oil is being processed. Employees in hazard suits churn buds from the marijuana plants into a machine that condenses the cured flowers and isolates the plant’s oil. Sickora said this process can be dangerous and the oil is very potent, so the company allows highly trained workers to manage this product.
If you are interested in purchasing recreational or medical marijuana, The Botanist in Egg Harbor Township can serve all of your needs. Those who wish to avoid waiting in line for hours, are better off delaying their visit a couple of weeks.
Learn more at shopbotanist.com.
