New Jersey’s cannabis market continued to grow in the second quarter of 2025, with regulators reporting increases in sales, strong participation from minority- and woman-owned businesses, and a licensing process that is surpassing state equity benchmarks.

According to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission’s Q2 reports (found here and here), total adult-use marijuana sales from June 2024 to June 2025 reached just over $1.05 billion, a 17.3% increase from the prior year. June 2025 sales came in at $93 million, with monthly figures consistently exceeding $80 million over the past year.

Social equity businesses—those meeting criteria under N.J.A.C. 17:30-6.6—saw even stronger growth, posting $9.84 million in June sales, a 56.8% year-over-year increase. Microbusinesses, which make up 35% of all licensees, recorded $8.6 million in sales for June, up 87.6% from the previous year. Sales from operators in Economically Disadvantaged Areas more than doubled over the same period, rising 137.5%.

The state’s licensing data shows an application pool that is both diverse and equity-focused. Of the 3,000 total applications received, 70% were from diversely owned businesses, 25% from social equity applicants, and 43% proposed locations in impact zones. Minority-owned applicants represented 27.3% of all submissions, while women-owned businesses accounted for 20.8%.

Approval rates reflect this diversity. Of the 2,337 licenses awarded so far, 71% went to diversely owned businesses and 24% to social equity applicants. Justice-involved applicants—those with prior marijuana convictions—made up 18% of all applications and 20% of conditional approvals.

Microbusiness licensing has far surpassed the state’s 25% benchmark, with 35% of licensees falling into this category. Delivery services had the highest proportion of microbusiness ownership at 60%, followed by cultivators (37%) and retailers (36%).

Retail remains the dominant license type in both applications and approvals. Nearly 1,700 applications were for retail operations, and retailers account for 56% of all awarded licenses. As of August 11, 2025, 182 businesses were operational under the CREAMM Act, 72.5% of which were retailers.

County-level data shows Burlington, Atlantic, and Union counties leading in annual license awards, while Essex, Hudson, and Atlantic lead in conditional-to-annual conversions.

Sales from diversely owned businesses reached $44.4 million in June 2025, a 63.1% increase from the prior year. Minority-owned businesses brought in $26.1 million in June, up 70.5%, and woman-owned businesses saw a 57.9% increase over the same period. Businesses owned by disabled veterans generated $1.85 million in June sales, a 42.1% year-over-year rise.

The data also shows that businesses tied to owners with prior marijuana convictions generated $5.74 million in June sales, representing a 98.1% increase over last year—a sign that the market’s social equity provisions are translating into meaningful economic activity.

Overall, New Jersey’s cannabis program is outpacing its own diversity and equity benchmarks, with steady sales growth across every tracked category. The latest numbers suggest that as the market matures, both established operators and new entrants—particularly those from historically marginalized groups—are securing a strong foothold in the state’s billion-dollar marijuana industry.