Tomorrow’s the big day, New Jersey. 

Recreational cannabis will finally be available for purchase for adults 21 or older, at an initial 10 stores across the state. More will come online soon.

While the launch of the legal market is obviously a huge cause for celebration, it can also be a bit overwhelming for first-time customers, too. We understand that you may have some questions (and might be nervous to ask a budtender): 

How much should you buy? Are there low-dose edibles for newbies? Which strains are the most popular? 

Rest assured, Leafly’s got you covered with all that info, and more. 

Trust us, your busy budtenders will thank you for arriving with the basics under your belt.

Read on to make sure your first experience buying New Jersey cannabis is stress-free, well-informed and fun.

Don’t forget, shoppers: State-licensed cannabis stores will be able to sell you up to one ounce of cannabis per customer. But adults may possess up to six ounces legally.

Marijuana flower and pre-rolls

Welcome to the world of legal cannabis, where good old traditional weed is known as flower, and professionally rolled joints are called pre-rolls.

Flower is sold in various quantities, from one gram (enough for one joint, or two smaller ones) to a full ounce.

Want to start with some of the hottest strains in New Jersey? Check out this list of New Jersey’s top-selling, most beloved strains:

• Blueberry – A classic strain, consumers love the soothing Blueberry for its calming and euphoric effects.
• Runtz – Known for its insanely fruity and sugary sweet terpene profile, Runtz is a buzzy hybrid strain known to make consumers energetic and chatty. Leafly named Runtz the 2020 Strain of the Year.
• Mob Boss –  C’mon New Jersey, don’t give us a reason to make another Sopranos joke! But hey, we get why you love Mob Boss: Citrusy and energizing, consumers tell us that it induces quick muscle relaxation, mood relief, and appetite stimulation.
• Motorbreath – Named for its excessively gassy flavor and smell, Motorbreath is an extremely potent and uplifting strain that’s best left to experienced consumers.
• Gelato – A balanced hybrid strain, Gelato often leaves consumers feeling numb to pain, relaxed, but mentally stimulated and productive. Less potent than many other classic strains, Gelato is a great choice for novice consumers.

Flower can also be purchased in pre-rolled joints, which are typically sold in half-gram or gram sizes.

Be sure to ask budtenders about the strains, and the potency range, that is most appropriate for you. 

Top-shelf edibles

Many customers prefer consuming their cannabis in edible form. Gummies and candies are big draws in New Jersey. Created with cannabis extracts, or with oils and butters infused with cannabis, these products are extremely discrete, and their effects can last much longer than inhaled cannabis.

We recommend that new consumers start with a low dose, between 2 and 5 milligrams of THC, before venturing upwards. 

Check the package and ask your budtender about the dosage before you leave the sales counter. (Seriously, ask. Everybody wants you to have a good experience.)

Vape cartridges and batteries

Looking for a smoother and more cost-effective way to inhale cannabis? Vaporizer cartridges (aka a vape cart) may be right for you.

A vape cart is a glass cartridge pre-filled with a gram or half-gram of cannabis oil. Most vape carts work in conjunction with a rechargeable vape pen battery, which is sold separately and heats up the oil, activating the various chemical components in it. 

Vape carts may also be sold as a single unit with a disposable battery.

To make vape cartridges, concentrated oils are extracted from cannabis plants via a handful of methods, including CO2 solvent-based extraction, distillate or solventless pressed hash rosin.

Vape carts either contain the oils of a single strain, or a blend of several strains. As such, they are typically marked as either sativa-dominant, indica-dominant or a hybrid of the two.

Concentrates

Customers can also buy cannabis in concentrated form; in New Jersey, they typically come in a sublingual syringe.

Cannabis concentrates tend to be extremely potent and are not recommended for novice consumers or consumers with a low THC tolerance.

Tinctures

Many cannabis consumers love tinctures, in which cannabis is diluted in oil or alcohol, and administered under the tongue with a dropper. Tinctures are extremely easy to dose, and are available in a wide range of potencies and blends.

Topicals

Individuals seeking pain relief through cannabis, but aren’t interested in much of a psychoactive effect, may enjoy the effects of infused salves and lotions. These are often infused with THC and CBD. They treat specific areas of the body, such as knees or other joints, without triggering an intoxicating effect.

Leafly Staff

Leafly is the world’s largest cannabis information resource, empowering people in legal cannabis markets to learn about the right products for their lifestyle and wellness needs. Our team of cannabis professionals collectively share years of experience in all corners of the market, from growing and retail, to science and medicine, to data and technology.

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