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Checking out at the cashier’s desk in Earth & Ivy dispensary felt a lot like visiting with friends. I got expert advice, learned about new products and got to know my budtenders a little on a personal level.
Among the first recreation-only dispensaries to open in New Jersey, this weed shop stands out among the 48 other places to buy weed.
Just blocks away from the main campus of Rutgers University, located at 355 George St. — open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. — on a strip of bars, restaurants and other specialty shops, they were the first weed store to open in New Brunswick.
University of Pennsylvania alumni David Ryslik, 26, Sasha Stephens, 26, and Anthony Lotti, 24, are the youngest cannabis shop owners in the state, maybe even the country. The three former Division 1 athletes sought to bring cannabis to a new demographic and highlight its medicinal benefits to help destigmatize the plant.
From David Ryslik, Sasha Stephens and Anthony Lotti are co-founders of Earth & Ivy.
“The founders of Earth & Ivy all got into the cannabis industry under similar circumstances. We are all former Division 1 athletes who have dealt with a plethora of injuries and were prescribed harsh pharmaceuticals while simultaneously being told the harms of cannabis use and how this could lead to us being dismissed from our respective teams,” they told NJ Cannabis Insider earlier this year.
“We realized that this was a microcosm for society as a whole and we wanted to bring awareness to this issue. We set out to disassociate the negative stigmas surrounding cannabis use and ushering in a new demographic to the cannabis space,” they said.
Their motto, “A new age cannabis experience” seems to have informed the design of the shop. The neutral tones, wood paneling and accents of turf-textured green walls combine well with the backlit display cases and friendly faces of the staff.
Earth & Ivy carries products from brands popular across New Jersey.
The shop also carries glass smokeware and other accessories like hemp wraps, sheets and cones from brands such as Grav, Vibes, King Palm, Tyson, Raw and Elements.Alexandra Pais | For NJ Advance
A neon sign in the lobby bearing their motto is set across the lobby from a floor-to-ceiling wall display of their E&I branded merchandise. Set in the middle, just between the doors to enter and exit the sales floor, sits a security desk where customers are scanned into the facility.
All of the employees are young, enthusiastic and eager to provide any help as you enter the main space of the shop and wait in line to approach the cashier’s counter.
The walls are adorned with metal works also bearing the shop’s name and motto. More floor-to-ceiling display cases with product packaging and metal plaques with information about the different chemicals that are naturally found in weed are also prevalent. The screens informing customers about their loyalty program and available products are hung high behind the counter. More branded merch is hung on racks on either side of a large New Jersey-shaped wall decal.
Javier Contreras assists a customer at Earth & Ivy Cannabis Co. in New Brunswick on September 9, 2023.Alexandra Pais | For NJ Advance Media
Aliyah was the first budtender to engage with me as I entered the sales floor. She was prepared to help me find the right product, but also gave me space to scroll through their menu on the kiosk in front of her register.
Earth & Ivy carries products from brands popular across New Jersey such as Verano, Curaleaf, The Botanist, Cookies, Airo, 1906 and Columbia Care, as well as newer brands that just hit the market like Branson Harlem, Savvy, and Triple Seven, among many others.
The shop also carries glass smokeware and other accessories like hemp wraps, sheets and cones from brands such as Grav, Vibes, King Palm, Tyson, Raw and Elements.
Absolutely unique to E&I is their collaboration with local glass blower Hub City Smokes to produce decorative, handheld dab devices. This is the E&I x Charisma nectar collector ($24) in white.Alexandra Pais | For NJ Advance Media
When I asked her to show me something that was absolutely unique to their shop, she told me about their collaboration with local glass blower Hub City Smokes to produce a decorative, handheld dab device called a nectar collector.
Aliyah then pulled in Aleem, the dab expert of the team, to explain how the tool worked, and talk to me about best dab practices and products. As a novice dabber, I was thankful for his insight and advice, and decided to purchase an E&I x Charisma nectar collector ($24) in green.
The overall vibe of the store was young and exuberant, yet still tasteful and sophisticated. The uncluttered sales area and minimal decor feels streamlined for a positive customer experience.
Have a question about consuming weed? Ask me anything.
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Gabby Warren is NJ.com’s Cannabis Life reporter. She’ll be covering all things weed retail, commerce and culture.