Publicity about his eviction East Rutherford likely led to the cancellation of his leases in Woodbridge and Neptune.
TRENTON --New Jersey's busiest medical marijuana doctor was evicted Friday from buildings in Neptune and Woodbridge, about two weeks after the same landlord canceled the lease on his main office in Hudson County.
Although his website's domain name is drmarijuananj.com and billboard ads identify him as "NJ Green MD," Anthony Anzalone said the property management company Regus objected to his affiliation with the New Jersey's medical marijuana program.
Anzalone said Regus, the Texas-based company which leases office space across the globe, had rented him office space in East Rutherford for 2-1/2 years until the end of March, when a manager informed him his work violated company policy.
Hours after a story appeared at NJ.com on Friday about his eviction, a Regus employee notified him the company was canceling his day-to-day leases in Woodbridge and Neptune, as well.
Building manager rejects medical marijuana doc
"I was told they don't want to be involved with medical marijuana," the doctor said. "I told them no medication has ever been dispensed here -- I just consult."
State law limits the sale of marijuana for medicinal purposes to the five dispensaries that currently grow and distribute the substance.
On Thursday, a representative for Regus declined to discuss why Anzalone was barred from the East Rutherford property. On Friday, the representative did not respond to a request for comment following his eviction in the other locations.
Regus' actions are "despicable" and "disrespectful" of his patients, Anzalone said.
"All I am doing as a physician is what the state says I am allowed to do," said Anzalone, who ran a gynecology practice before registering with the medicinal marijuana program nearly four years ago.
With 700 referrals, Anzalone said he believe he has helped more patients join the program than any other physician. There are more than 6,000 patients.
Doctors who register with the program refer a patient by attesting that he or she has one of the qualifying medical conditions, according to the law. Doctors must also be able to prove they have a "bona fide" treating relationship with the patient.
Anzalone. a graduate from a Mexican medical school, has been a licensed physician in New Jersey since 1983 and has no malpractice claims of disciplinary actions on his record, according to the state Board of Medical Examiners, the licensing and disciplinary agency for doctors.
On April 4, Anzalone said, the manager in East Rutherford and a security guard barred him and his patients from entering the office.
"They were stopped at the desk and loudly told medical marijuana patients cannot be seen in this building any more," Anzalone said. "They were publicly humiliated."
Lisa Seemon, an area vice president for Regus, on Thursday declined to comment on specifics. "He is no longer a client with Regus. We don't discuss the terms of client agreements. Mr. Anzalone has no agreements with Regus in any center."
Anzalone said he is looking for new office locations in Woodbridge and Neptune and has begun seeing patients at the nearby Meadowlands Hilton in East Rutherford. He also said he has hired a lawyer and is weighing his legal options.
"(Regus) forced me out of there, and I have landed on my feet," Anzalone said. "But they owe my patients an apology."
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.