NJ CRC Meets Oct. 29 in Trenton: Speaker Signup Closes Oct. 27
Update: What’s on today’s CRC agenda
TRENTON — The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission meets Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026, at 11 a.m. at 200 Riverview Plaza in Trenton. Anyone who wants to speak must register by 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27, according to the CRC’s public meetings page. The posted agenda lists “Social Equity Excise Fee decisions” among the items before the board.
That leaves five days to sign up. The CRC says its registration form closes automatically at the deadline. TSR re-opened the commission’s meetings page and legal notices page on the night of Oct. 21 and used only what those pages say. We do not know how the board will vote, and we do not guess. The story ends with a same-day shelf check at The Apothecarium in Maplewood. The Stoner Review sells shirts and hoodies only. We do not sell or ship cannabis.
Date, Time and Place
The meeting was first set for today, Oct. 22. The CRC meetings page now shows that date struck through and replaced with Oct. 29. It also says the session will be held at 200 Riverview Plaza, not at the commission’s usual address at 44 South Clinton Avenue. The legal notices page lists an updated change-of-location notice for the Oct. 29 meeting dated Sept. 22, 2026. The next board meeting on the calendar after that is Thursday, Dec. 10.
People who cannot travel to Trenton can watch online. The meetings page links a Zoom session and the CRC’s YouTube channel for the live stream. Our first Oct. 29 countdown, published Oct. 1, covered the address change and what the notice said at the time.
How to Register to Speak
The CRC posts a registration form on its meetings page. The deadline to register for the Oct. 29 meeting is Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. The commission sets these rules for public comment:
- Each speaker gets three minutes.
- Each person may comment only once during the meeting.
- Groups and organizations should pick one person to speak for the group.
- Public comment comes near the end of the posted agenda, just before adjournment.
The CRC also takes written comments. The deadline for written comments on this meeting is Friday, Oct. 30, at 5 p.m., one day after the session. The commission warns that written comments become part of the public record. Names and comments will be public and may show up in internet searches. The page asks anyone who needs a disability accommodation to file a request at least 14 business days before a meeting.
What Is on the Agenda
The posted agenda starts with a roll call and a closed executive session, expected to last about an hour. Then come the approval of prior minutes, the chair’s report and the executive director’s report. The board then turns to public notices and publications and Social Equity Excise Fee decisions.
The rest of the list is licensing work. It includes applications for permit or license changes, cannabis business applications, conditional-to-annual conversions, annual licenses, annual license renewals by administrative extension, business conversions and adult-use satellite requests. The board will also take up cases, claims and petitions, waivers and notices of enforcement action. The agenda does not say which businesses are up for a vote.
The Social Equity Excise Fee in Plain Words
The Social Equity Excise Fee, or SEEF, is a fee on cannabis growers, not a line on a store receipt. The New Jersey Division of Taxation says that starting Jan. 1, 2026, the fee is $2.50 per ounce. It is due on each usable ounce of recreational cannabis sold by a Class 1 cultivator. Growers report it on a monthly return. Medical cannabis is not subject to the fee.
The CRC agenda lists SEEF decisions but does not say what they are. It does not name a new rate. TSR will not report a rate or an outcome until the board acts and posts the record. Our SEEF Tax Watch from Sept. 28 explains how a fee charged to growers can work its way into what stores charge. For local fights over where stores can open, see our Parsippany council report and our roundup of town dispensary votes in Brick, Robbinsville and Paramus.
TSR Dispensary Report: The Apothecarium — Maplewood
Today’s New Jersey shelf check is The Apothecarium at 1865 Springfield Ave. in Maplewood, Essex County. The store’s website says adult-use customers need a valid government photo ID showing they are 21 or older. TSR read the store’s public recreational menu at 12:19 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026. The first page load carried 104 products, including 10 flower items. The table shows 14. Prices are as displayed; tax is not included.
| Product | Size | Price shown | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legend Zbanger | 3.5g | $24.00 sale (list $40.00) | Flower |
| Kind Tree Sherbanimal | 3.5g | $31.20 sale (list $52.00) | Flower |
| Kind Tree White Inferno | 3.5g | $31.20 sale (list $52.00) | Flower |
| Kind Tree Lemon Cherry Rozay | 3.5g | $39.00 sale (list $52.00) | Flower |
| Rythm Afternoon Delight #4 | 3.5g | $41.25 sale (list $55.00) | Flower |
| Kind Tree Cherry Slushee | 7g | $51.00 sale (list $85.00) | Flower |
| Kind Tree White Iverson | 5pk / 1.75g | $18.00 sale (list $30.00) | Pre-Rolls |
| Kind Tree Cherry Runtz | 2pk / 1g | $9.00 sale (list $15.00) | Pre-Rolls |
| Kind Tree Candy Fumez | 3.5g | $42.00 sale (list $70.00) | Infused flower (Snowballs) |
| Kind Tree Lemon Cherry Rozay | 3.5g | $70.00 | Infused flower (Snowballs) |
| Kind Tree Permanent Chimera | 1g | $32.50 sale (list $65.00) | Concentrates |
| Legend Kiwi Berry | 1g | $33.00 sale (list $55.00) | Vape (Natural Cartridge) |
| Valhalla Pineapple Whip | 1g | $30.00 sale (list $50.00) | Vape (Natural Cartridge) |
| Valhalla Cherry | 10pk / 100mg | $12.00 sale (list $20.00) | Edibles |
All 9 flower eighths on the first page showed a sale price. After discounts they ran from $24.00 to $41.25, with a median of $31.20. The lowest was the Legend Zbanger eighth at $24, down from a $40 list price. The highest was the Rythm Afternoon Delight #4 eighth at $41.25, down from $55.
Some prices held since TSR last checked this store on Oct. 8 for our October NJ events guide. The Kind Tree Sherbanimal and White Inferno eighths were $31.20 on sale, from $52, both days. The Valhalla Cherry gummies held at $12 on sale, and the Legend Kiwi Berry cartridge held at $33. One price moved. The Kind Tree Candy Fumez Snowballs eighth listed at $70 with no sale on Oct. 8. Today it showed $42 on sale. Specials change during the day, so check the live menu. Our review of TSR menu checks tracks prices at other NJ shops. Source: The Apothecarium Maplewood recreational menu, fetched Oct. 22, 2026.
What to Wear to a Board Meeting
A CRC session is a public meeting in a government building. Plan for a long morning. The closed session alone is expected to take about an hour before the public business starts. Dress in layers, since meeting rooms can run cold, and wear shoes you can stand in.
The Lips hoodie is $59.99 in eight colors and sizes S through 2XL. It is part of our Bundle Up collection, where any two hoodies are $100. The Bless Your Heart hoodie is $59.99 in seven colors and the same sizes. For lighter layers, the Forever Summer collection offers buy 3 tees, get 1 free. Every U.S. order ships free with no minimum. For daily NJ cannabis links, including the CRC meeting record when it posts, follow The Wire and our NJ Cannabis Data Hub.
Method: Meeting date, time, place, agenda, speaker rules and comment deadlines come from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s public meetings page and legal notices page, re-opened on the night of Oct. 21, 2026. The SEEF rate comes from the New Jersey Division of Taxation. Dispensary prices are shelf prices as displayed on one shop’s public online menu on one day, tax not included.
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