Court Orders Status Report on NJ Pot Dispensaries

State accused of dragging feet on letting them open

State officials must provide a status report after half of the medical marijuana dispensaries approved in New Jersey remain unopened, a state appeals court ruled.

New Jersey legalized such dispensaries for patients diagnosed with certain chronic medical conditions four years ago under the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act.

In a lawsuit against the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, a class claimed that the department was delaying implementation of the law. They also called the process for registering medical marijuana confusing and time consuming.

Three patients named as plaintiffs—Richard Caporusso, Jill Caporusso and Caroline Glock—claimed that the Health Department's deliberate inaction denied them access to legalized outlets for the drug.