NJ Bill S4287 Targets Unlicensed Weed Stores: What the Fines Would Change
TRENTON — A New Jersey Senate bill would make it a third-degree crime to run a business that sells marijuana without a state license. The bill, S4287, carries fines of $10,000 to $50,000 for individuals and $100,000 to $250,000 for companies, according to the Senate Judiciary Committee’s statement on the measure.
The committee approved the bill 11-0 on Oct. 15, 2026, the Legislature’s bill page shows. It was then sent to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee. Senate President Nicholas Scutari, a Democrat, and Senate Republican Leader Anthony M. Bucco are the primary sponsors. The bill is aimed at smoke shops and storefronts that sell cannabis outside the licensed market. It is not law. MJBizDaily reported that it still needs approval from the full Senate and the Assembly before it can go to Gov. Mikie Sherrill.
TSR re-opened every source in this story on the night of Oct. 25. Each claim below is tied to the outlet or document that reported it. This is news, not legal advice. TSR does not predict whether the bill will pass. The story ends with a same-day shelf check at Ascend in Fort Lee. The Stoner Review sells shirts and hoodies only. We do not sell or ship cannabis.
What S4287 Would Do
The committee statement lays out the main parts of the bill:
- Unlicensed marijuana sales. Anyone who owns, runs, controls or manages a business that sells marijuana without a license would be guilty of a third-degree crime. Fines run $10,000 to $50,000 for a person and $100,000 to $250,000 for a partnership, corporation or other legal entity.
- Unlicensed vape sales. The same penalties would apply to businesses that sell vapor products at retail without a state vapor license. The bill creates a new license type, called a limited vapor product retailer.
- Flavored vapes. Selling vapes with a flavor other than tobacco would be an offense. Penalties scale with quantity, from a petty disorderly persons offense for fewer than five units to a second-degree crime for 500 or more.
- Racketeering. Unlicensed marijuana and vape sales would be added to the state’s definition of racketeering activity. That opens the door to added criminal and civil penalties under New Jersey’s RICO Act.
- Seizure. Products sold in violation of the bill would be treated as contraband. The statement says they could be seized without a warrant.
- Closures. A business with more than two violations in two years would be deemed a public nuisance. The town where it operates could then restrict the business or close it.
The bill defines a “business concern” as any corporation, association, firm, partnership, sole proprietorship, trust or other commercial enterprise, Heady NJ reported.
Who Spoke at the Committee Hearing
Heady NJ covered the Oct. 15 hearing. It reported that lobbyist Eric Blomgren, who said he leads an association of gas stations, spoke in favor of the bill but asked for amendments. “These new penalties are tough but fair,” Blomgren said, according to Heady NJ. He said illegal tobacco sales cut into the state’s sales tax revenue.
Heady NJ also reported that Todd Johnson of the New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association backed the bill but did not testify. A committee aide said the state Attorney General’s Office supports it, according to the outlet.
Senate Whip Troy Singleton, a Burlington County Democrat, raised one question at the hearing. He asked whether the bill could “recriminalize” people the 2021 law moved away from criminal charges. Bucco said that was not the intent. “We’ll take another look at it if it needs to be tightened up,” Bucco said, as quoted by Heady NJ.
Why Lawmakers Say They Want It
MJBizDaily reported that the bill comes more than five years after New Jersey voters approved legalization. The outlet said the licensed market generated more than $1.1 billion in sales in 2025. Many of the bill’s supporters run licensed cannabis businesses, MJBizDaily reported. They say unlicensed sellers undercut stores that pay taxes, test products and follow state rules.
Johnson told NJ.com that licensed stores compete with nearby smoke shops that ignore local zoning rules. “Oftentimes, they’re near dispensaries, sometimes near schools,” he said, as quoted by MJBizDaily. Bucco told NJ.com the bill is meant to stop the illegal market that grew up after legalization, MJBizDaily reported.
For state sales and license figures from official sources, see the TSR NJ Cannabis Data Hub. For background on how the licensed and unlicensed markets differ, see our explainer on legal vs. black market cannabis in New Jersey.
What Changed From the Earlier Bill
S4287 follows an earlier Scutari-Bucco bill, S4154, MJBizDaily reported. That bill drew heavy opposition because it would have created criminal penalties for consumers who bought cannabis from unlicensed sellers. Critics said it would punish shoppers who were misled by stores posing as legal dispensaries.
The new bill “focuses almost entirely on sellers,” according to MJBizDaily. The committee statement describes penalties for people who own or run a business that sells without a license. It does not describe new penalties for buyers. Smokers who want to confirm a store is licensed can use the state’s licensed dispensary finder, run by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
Where the Bill Goes Next
The Legislature’s bill page lists these steps so far:
- May 14, 2026: Introduced in the Senate and referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
- Oct. 15, 2026: Reported out of committee, 11-0, and given second reading.
- Oct. 15, 2026: Referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.
The page also says the Office of Legislative Services has certified the bill for a fiscal note. Heady NJ reported on Oct. 15 that the bill did not yet have a companion in the Assembly. TSR will report new votes only when the Legislature posts them. Daily updates run on The Wire.
Other state cannabis fights are in the courts and town halls. Our report on New Jersey’s labor peace rule in federal court covers the Cannabis Place case in Jersey City. Our roundup of town dispensary votes in Brick, Robbinsville and Paramus tracks local zoning. And the CRC meets Oct. 29 in Trenton; our speaker signup guide has the details.
TSR Dispensary Report: Ascend — Fort Lee
Today’s licensed shelf check is Ascend at 469 West St. in Fort Lee, Bergen County. TSR read the store’s public adult-use menu at 12:26 a.m. on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026. It listed 1,016 active items, including 286 accessories and 267 flower products. The table shows nine. Prices are as displayed on the menu; tax is not included. Menus change often, so check the store before you go. Adults 21 and older only.
| Product | Size | Price shown | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| RYTHM Cheddar Cheeze | 3.5g | $55.00 | Flower |
| Ozone Cheddar Cheeze | 3.5g | $29.99 sale (list $39.99) | Flower |
| RYTHM Regina George | 3.5g | $33.00 sale (list $55.00) | Flower |
| Garden Greens Ice Wookie | 3.5g | $55.00 | Flower |
| Kind Tree Dirty Banana | 3.5g | $45.00 sale (list $60.00) | Flower |
| Ozone Golden Cream (5 pack) | 2.5g | $21.24 sale (list $24.99) | Pre-rolls |
| Simply Herb Lycheeberry Dream | 1g | $31.99 sale (list $39.99) | Vape |
| RYTHM Fantasy Melonz Solventless Live Rosin | 1g | $60.00 | Concentrate |
| Ozone Strawberry Soft Chews (10 pack) | 10 pack | $13.49 sale (list $17.99) | Edible |
Some prices held steady since TSR’s last Fort Lee check on Oct. 12. RYTHM Cheddar Cheeze was $55 both times. Simply Herb Lycheeberry Dream was $31.99 on sale both times. Ozone Cheddar Cheeze dropped from $33.99 to $29.99 on sale, with the $39.99 list price unchanged. All 23 Ozone eighths on the menu showed the same $29.99 sale price tonight. Past checks from other stores are collected in our NJ dispensary price roundup.
Bottom Line
S4287 would make running an unlicensed marijuana store a crime with fines up to $250,000. It cleared one Senate committee 11-0. It still needs more votes in both houses and the governor’s signature before it becomes law, according to MJBizDaily. TSR will follow the Legislature’s record and report each step as it is posted. Gear for the cold-weather news cycle is below. Every order ships free in the U.S., with no minimum.
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