Gov. Phil Murphy Pushes for More Equity in New Jersey’s Cannabis Industry During Visit to Prolific Growhouse
Published May 30, 2024
Phil Murphy visited Prolific Growhouse, a Black-owned cannabis cultivator based in Mount Holly, Burlington County, to highlight New Jersey’s ongoing push for diversity and equity within the legal cannabis industry.
During the tour, Murphy was introduced to Murphy’s Sourz, a cannabis strain named after him by the company.
“I’m honored,” the governor said while posing with promotional material for the strain.
“Murphy’s Sourz”
According to Prolific Growhouse, Murphy’s Sourz launched in January and features flavor notes described as:
Sour lemon
Sweet tangerine
Diesel
Pine
David Nicolas said the company originally created the strain hoping it would grab the governor’s attention.
“We were like, ‘Let’s try to get Governor Murphy’s attention with this one,’” Nicolas said. “I didn’t expect him to give me a surprise visit.”
Highlighting Equity in Cannabis
Murphy’s visit was intended to showcase the state’s efforts to build a more equitable cannabis industry following legalization.
According to state officials cited in the report:
1,943 cannabis licenses had been approved statewide
Approximately 70% were awarded to “diversely-owned” businesses
115 adult-use cannabis businesses were operating at the time
13 licensed cultivators were active statewide
Murphy emphasized that additional work still needs to be done.
“I still want to see more equity, more reward and redemption for the folks who were crushed by the war on drugs,” he said.
Building Prolific Growhouse
During the tour, Nicolas showed Murphy the company’s cultivation, processing and packaging operations, while outlining plans for major expansion.
Future buildout plans included:
Additional flower rooms
Dedicated cloning space
Expanded packaging operations
A secure vault
Employee facilities
A full irrigation system
Nicolas explained that completing the expansion would require roughly $700,000 in additional funding.
He noted that assistance from the New Jersey Economic Development Authority helped support part of the project costs.
From the War on Drugs to Licensed Operator
Murphy praised Nicolas as an example of what New Jersey’s cannabis industry should become.
“You’re a role model for exactly what we want this industry to look like,” Murphy said. “Somebody who has been crushed, sadly, on the one hand by the war on drugs and has reemerged as a bright star.”
Nicolas shared his own story as a first-generation Haitian American from Trenton who turned to cannabis sales during difficult financial periods after his mother battled breast cancer.
He also described repeated police stops and arrests before legalization, including incidents that nearly derailed his college education at Rowan University.
“It was either between my degree or my freedom,” Nicolas said while recalling a court appearance that conflicted with a college final exam.
A Young Team Building a New Industry
Nicolas said he assembled the Prolific Growhouse team in 2021, the same year New Jersey legalized adult-use cannabis.
At the time of the interview, the company employed 10 workers with an average age of 25.
“This group is probably the youngest in the nation operating a legal cannabis business,” Nicolas said. “But everyone here has hustle, and is definitely dedicated towards this company.”
The Challenge of Access to Capital
While Nicolas said New Jersey is moving in the right direction regarding social equity, he argued that access to capital remains one of the biggest barriers for entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
“People who come from my background, especially from the inner city, most don’t have the amount of capital that it takes to start up one of these,” Nicolas said.
He called for:
More cannabis-specific grants
Expanded access to state funding programs
Greater financial support for minority-led cannabis businesses
According to Nicolas, improving access to capital will be critical to maintaining diversity within New Jersey’s rapidly expanding cannabis industry.