Medical cannabis is expanding in N.J., and that could speed up the start date for legal weed sales Updated Feb 28, 2021; Posted Feb 27, 2021 Ascend, a medical marijuana dispensary, held a grand re-opening in Montclair on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021. It has taken over the former Greenleaf Compassion Center. Facebook Share With the passage of legalization, New Jersey’s medical marijuana dispensaries are eagerly eying ways to join the pending legal weed market. Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday signed a massive bill into law that outlines the rules and regulations for a legal marijuana market. But it didn’t immediately flip a switch for legal sales to begin. A commission must still adopt rules and begin licensing new dispensaries, and the existing medical marijuana companies will likely get the first shot at selling to the public.