Policy & Advocacy

New Jersey originally launched its adult-use cannabis market with highly limited ingestible options, permitting only “syrups, tinctures, pills, tablets, and chewable forms such as soft lozenges.”
(Reference: N.J.A.C. 17:30-10.8, adopted 2022.)

Baked goods, chocolates, traditional confections, and beverages were not initially authorized categories. This narrow framework restricted product variety, constrained innovation, and placed a disproportionate burden on new manufacturers trying to enter the market.

As New Jersey’s first licensed Class 2 manufacturer with professional technical expertise in culinary and food safety, Matha Figaro provided data-driven feedback, comments, and industry analysis to the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) and the NJ Cannabis Business Association (NJCBA). Through her leadership within the NJCBA Manufacturing Committee, Matha helped articulate the operational realities, food-science considerations, and consumer-safety protocols required to safely expand the edible category.

This collective industry advocacy contributed to the CRC’s decision to broaden its rules to include a wider range of ingestible products—such as baked goods chocolates, confectionery items, and later, cannabis beverages—as outlined in subsequent regulatory updates and guidance (2023–2024).

Matha’s ongoing contributions continue to support a more modern, equitable, and consumer-responsive edibles program. Her work centers on improving regulatory clarity, reducing unnecessary barriers for small and social-equity operators, and aligning New Jersey’s manufacturing rules with national best practices.