State health inspectors have cited the state's largest medical marijuana dispensary after finding pesticides at its Woodbridge facility, although no traces of the bug-killing substance was detected in the medicine, a state health spokeswoman confirmed.
TRENTON -- State health inspectors have cited the state's largest medical marijuana dispensary after finding pesticides at its Woodbridge facility, although no traces of the bug-killing substance was detected in the medicine, a state health spokeswoman confirmed.
New Jersey's medical marijuana program bars dispensaries from using pesticides on its cannabis crops.
Garden State Dispensary owner Michael Weisser said inspectors found a sealed container of organic pesticides in a little-used cabinet. "At one time we considered using it," he said.
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Garden State submitted a "corrective action plan" in August demonstrating they understand and will abide by the rules, health department spokeswoman Donna Leusner said. The department approved the plan.
Garden State serves 3,052 registered patients, Weisser said, up from 2,165 in 2014, according to the state's annual report on the medicinal marijuana program. There are about 5,500 registered patients and caregivers enrolled in the program.
Garden State's patients raised concerns on social media over the summer about the dispensary placing limits on how much marijuana they may purchase at a time. Weisser said the restrictions lasted only about five days and that is long over.
Later in the fall, the owners plan to add more lamps and lights inside the Route 1 facility to meet the program's growing demand, he said.
The program is also served by Greenleaf Compassion Center in Montclair and Compassionate Care Foundation in Egg Harbor. Compassionate Sciences in Bellmawr is expected to open next month; Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center in Cranbury also is expected to open in the fall, Leusner said.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.