New Jersey Cannabis Municipal
Opt-In Database
Last Updated: January 2026 | Data Source: NJ CRC Government Relations
Which New Jersey municipalities allow cannabis businesses—and which license types they permit
New Jersey's adult-use cannabis law gave each municipality 180 days to decide whether to allow cannabis businesses. The opt-out deadline was August 21, 2022. Of the state's 564 municipalities, only 206 opted in—and not all of them allow every license type.
This database shows which towns opted in, which license classes they allow, and their 2020 census population. Use it to identify compliant property locations, evaluate market size, or understand why certain regions are cannabis deserts.
I track the operational realities behind these numbers, separating regulatory stats from on-the-ground truth. This page is updated as new CRC data becomes available.
License Distribution Across New Jersey Counties
​Of the 206 municipalities that opted in, licenses are concentrated in specific counties. Here's how the state's 305 active annual licenses and 462 conditional-to-annual conversions break down geographically.
License Types:
• Class 1 - Cultivator (cannabis growing facilities)
• Class 2 - Manufacturer (processing, extraction, edibles production)
• Class 3 - Wholesaler (bulk distribution between licensees)
• Class 4 - Distributor (transportation and logistics)
• Class 5 - Retailer (dispensaries - direct consumer sales)
• Class 6 - Delivery (direct-to-consumer delivery services)
Data Source: This table is compiled from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission's Government Relations page and cross-referenced with 2020 U.S. Census population data. While the NJ-CRC maintains the official list of opted-in municipalities, their table does not include population figures or last-update timestamps. I update this database quarterly as new CRC data becomes available.
Last verified: January 2026.
What This Data Reveals
Retail Restrictions in Opted-In Municipalities
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Not all municipalities that opted in allow retail dispensaries (Class 5). Examples:
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Galloway Township (37,813 residents) allows cultivation, manufacturing, and delivery—but prohibits retail sales
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Pleasantville (20,629 residents) has the same restriction
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East Rutherford (10,022 residents) and Leonia (9,304 residents) in Bergen County allow cultivation and manufacturing but prohibit retail and delivery
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This creates situations where cannabis can be grown and processed in a town but not sold there, forcing consumers to travel to neighboring municipalities and making it harder for cultivators to establish vertically integrated operations.
County-Level Disparities
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High opt-in density counties:
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Bergen County: 26 municipalities (but many restrict retail)
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Camden County: 21 municipalities (Route 70/73 corridor green zone)
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Essex County: 10 municipalities (includes Newark - 311,549 residents)
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Burlington County: 21 municipalities
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Low opt-in density counties:
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Sussex County: 8 municipalities (51,229 total opted-in population)
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Hunterdon County: 5 municipalities
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Salem County: 6 municipalities
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Cape May County: 4 municipalities
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Urban concentration: New Jersey's four largest cities—Newark (311,549), Jersey City (292,449), Paterson (159,732), and Trenton (90,871)—all opted in and allow all license types.
The Property Competition Problem
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All 2,435 cannabis license holders are competing for compliant property in these 206 municipalities. Within opted-in municipalities, local zoning restrictions further limit viable parcels:
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School buffers: Most municipalities require 1,000-2,000 foot separation from schools
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Daycare and park buffers: 500-1,000 foot buffers from childcare facilities and public parks
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Municipal zoning overlays: Some towns restrict cannabis businesses to industrial zones or specific corridors
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This geographic constraint drives up lease rates and creates the "120-day property scramble" operators face when converting from conditional to annual license status. For operators holding conditional licenses, this table identifies which towns allow your license type—but identifying actual compliant, available parcels requires property-specific due diligence.
Want the full market context?
Our New Jersey Cannabis Market Intelligence page tracks licensing trends, operational conversion rates, wholesale pricing dynamics, and the 496-license cultivation pipeline still activating.
Stuck Finding Compliant Property?
This table shows you which towns opted in and which license types they allow—but it doesn't show you which parcels are actually available, compliant with local zoning buffers, and financially viable for your specific operation.
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If you're holding a conditional license and struggling to identify viable locations within the 120-day conversion window, you're not alone. The conditional license rate proves the system creates structural barriers, not operator failures.
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The difference between securing compliant property and losing your license comes down to three things:
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Understanding municipal zoning overlays and buffer requirements (which vary by town)
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Identifying parcels that pass both state CRC requirements and local ordinances
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Stress-testing the financial model against realistic buildout timelines and wholesale pricing
I've advised operators from blank-canvas site selection through final buildout. We know where the bottlenecks are—municipal approval coordination, utility timelines, zoning compliance verification, and financial modeling that survives wholesale compression.
If you're building, stuck, or bleeding, let's talk about whether your plan survives the next 18 months.
Disclaimer:
This data is provided for informational purposes only and is compiled from publicly available New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission records and U.S. Census Bureau data. While we make every effort to ensure accuracy, municipalities may change their opt-in status, enact license caps, modify allowed license types, or reach their license allocation limits at any time.
Operators should verify current opt-in status, license availability, zoning restrictions, and buffer requirements directly with the target municipality before committing to property or submitting applications. Cannabis Wise Guys assumes no liability for decisions made based on this information.
For the most current official data, visit the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
About This Page
This analysis is maintained by Max Jackson, founder of Cannabis Wise Guys and member of the New Jersey Cannabusiness Association's Cultivation Committee.
For questions about the data or methodology, contact us.