Garden State Botanicals

A recent visit to this sparkling new cannabis dispensary reveals something different in New Jersey. What sets Garden State Botanicals apart from their peers is they are carrying a brand name, Brute’s Roots. This is South Jersey, Sun Grown Cannabis - propagated using the sun, right here in the state of New Jersey. This is an anomaly, considering all the other corporate growers are indoors under artificial light. 

Garden State Botanicals was founded in 2019 by owner Patricia Nasshorn. Pat has an extensive background in the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, co-founding two biotech startups and building her own Women-Owned Business Enterprise (WBENC)-certified healthcare business development consulting practice in 2015.

After Pat’s husband sadly lost his battle with brain cancer in 2014, she began doing extensive research into the many potential benefits of medical marijuana, both for cancer patients and those living with other challenging conditions and illnesses. Using her business consulting background, she became advisor to three organizations in Pennsylvania, helping them each obtain medical marijuana permits.

When New Jersey announced its medical marijuana program expansion in 2019, Pat obtained her own Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) Dispensary permit under Garden State Botanicals, LLC. And the rest is history!

I visited Garden State Botanicals the other day and saw a well-designed dispensary with a twist. To me, sun-grown flower just tastes differently. Sure, it has less THC (in my opinion, crass marketing) than many of the other name brands on the market, and that is just the charm. You might not know, but many of us who utilize cannabis for medical reasons find that higher THC cannabis is not as viable on a medicinal level as low THC cannabis in the treatment and alleviation of certain ills, such as my eyes. High THC gives me a wicked headache and raises my eye pressure. Lower THC strains, like those grown by Brute’s Roots, offer the healing I require - and the drive down to North Brunswick is not entirely too far from my house. For the good stuff- I’ll travel far and wide to attain the kind that I’m seeking. 

Thank you to Garden State Botanicals for carrying Brute’s Roots. What a nice surprise! Real sun-grown cannabis in New Jersey? Yes! More to follow in this regard with a road trip seeking their flowers possible in the coming weeks. 

At Garden State Botanicals, we strive to provide all of our patients and guests with welcoming and informative interactions. Our knowledgeable staff love to share their experiences and educate consumers on what truly goes into the vast cannabis world. We have found that one of the most overlooked aspects of cannabis is terpenes. While many consumers shop solely on THC percentages alone, terpenes play a large role in flavor, smell, and effect from different products. We have introduced an interactive terpene bar in our retail space that allows consumers to smell many of the different terpenes you will find in cannabis.

While smelling terpenes is different from smelling a specific product, this method helps consumers decide what flavor profiles they enjoy, as well as educating them on the various plants, apart from cannabis, that these aromatic compounds derive from. Limonene, for example, is typically found in citrus fruits and provides a sweet, lemon smell and flavor. Limonene has been found to provide anxiety and stress relief. Our terpene bar currently has 7 different terpenes that are commonly found in the cannabis plant, as well as descriptions on potential effects and other botanical sources.

Garden State Botanicals is super easy to get to; they are really easy to find from all over the central part of New Jersey. They are right next door to a brand new Dunkin, and a Baskin Robbins, so you cannot miss it from the street; it’s really well marked. There is plenty of dedicated parking as well, so no worries there either. For medical folks like me, you can show up at 10:00 on a Monday and have the whole store basically to yourself. That kind of service is rare in any state that I’ve visited.

And what kind budtenders! They certainly have a friendly and knowledgeable staff as I found out myself. Their menu is super easy to read and interact with online, and there is even a terpene-scenting bar right there on location for those who might want to deepen their intellectual and personal cannabis experience. There’s a well-chosen selection of cannabis accessories, hand-crafted pipes, glass bongs, a Puffco, and plenty of rolling papers, including their new hemp blunt wrappers. All of this fills out the room with their comfortable seating area and real plants (unfortunately not cannabis ones) giving off healing energy to the gleaming, sun-filled room. For a strip-mall pad, this is a very inviting space that is modern, yet not cold in any way, it’s warm and inviting. A plus again for the medical community and the non-stoner, read “older” clientele, you have dedicated hours, and the dispensary is also fully recreational - but most importantly is time for medical patients to shop without the crush of other recreational customers. It’s a nice touch, and appreciated by us older folk. 

Did I say that the store is really easy to get to? If you are over 21 and are at nearby Rutgers - you’re in like Flint! 

I wish them the very best, and thank you for the generous swag and excellent service. Find them online at https://www.gsb-nj.com/ or instagram @gardenstatebotanicals.