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There are some lists Jersey City sits atop, whether it’s home to the best pizza, the highest rents or the most diverse population in the nation.
Now Jersey City is high, in both the figurative and literal sense, on the list of towns that have the most active cannabis dispensaries in New Jersey — in other words, the “weed capital” of New Jersey.
There are six dispensaries across the city, outpacing No. 2 Mount Holly, a township of 10,000 in Burlington County, which has four. Recreational cannabis entrepreneurs in Jersey City got off to a slow start, failing to open a shop in the first year it was legal, but have certainly gained momentum.
“Hopefully this is a boon for the city,” said Heights Councilman Yousef Saleh on the growing cannabis industry, whose ward is home to one shop and has more than a dozen on the way in what has become a hotspot for potential cannabis businesses.
“It’ll bring tax dollars, more investment from people coming to Jersey City, trying out different restaurants, maybe coming to live here and see all that the city has to offer,” Saleh added.
The number of stores that have opened, as well as the numerous applicants, can be attributed to the city’s embrace of the cannabis industry since decriminalization in 2021.
“We’re doing really solid business,” said Brian Markey, owner of Garden Greenz in Downtown. “People were dying for us to open for the longest time. We have such a tremendous presence on (the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza).
The city’s open dispensaries are located in neighborhoods such as Downtown, Greenville and Communipaw. Others are planning to open in Journal Square, Bergen-Lafayette and the West Side.
“It is no surprise that Jersey City has become a leader in this new industry, as Mayor Steve Fulop has been one of the most vocal advocates for legalization from the start,” said Jersey City spokeswoman Kimberly Wallace-Scalcione. “The administration has worked incredibly hard over the past several years to thoughtfully implement local guidelines to help put new cannabis business owners on the path to success.”
Still, the city council has hit the pause button on approvals via a moratorium while it considers amending cannabis regulations — examining potential over-saturation in certain areas and a dearth in underserved neighborhoods.
The moratorium, which has been extended twice since it was put into effect last May 15, has prevented any new applications from being heard by the city’s cannabis board.
Initial proposals by the council during the moratorium included capping the number of dispensaries and cutting some of the bureaucratic hurdles to open a dispensary. But the proposals have been tabled since September so the issues can be further discussed, following complaints from dispensary owners.
Council President Joyce Watterman said she wishes the moratorium could’ve ended sooner, and is hopeful that implementing potential proposals, which are expected to be introduced in March, will lead to its end.
“When we first put it out there that we (were) going to make some adjustment, it sent shockwaves to the industry because a lot of people didn’t know where the application would land, where it will fall, can they present it, would it not be accepted,” Watterman said.
New proposals being considered include adding a limit to the number of consumption lounges in the city and wards, as well as adding a distance requirement between cannabis businesses and universities, playgrounds and places of worship.
Saint Peter’s University’s ongoing lawsuit against the Xena NJ dispensary (formerly known as Medusa NJ), filed in 2022, claims that the shop is too close to one of the school’s dormitory buildings.
Saleh said that the moratorium gave him time to reflect on the application process and the different viewpoints in the city regarding the number of stores and how to improve the process. But Councilman Frank Gilmore expressed disappointment in the city’s direction on cannabis, saying that dispensaries should be out of reach from schools and childcare centers and that the city has failed to spreading businesses across all neighborhoods.
“The people who got their permits are (those) who know people or have the financial capacity to do all of that stuff,” Gilmore said. “Because there’s so many, there’s going to be a corporate takeover because the little guys who applied for the licenses and everything (are) not going to be able to compete.”
In the meantime, the city will soon see its seventh dispensary, Golden Door Dispensary at 638 Newark Ave. in Journal Square, open March 15.
Jersey City’s growing cannabis industry is not only the product of the local government’s approach toward cannabis, but also a younger and “hipper” crowd that has moved into the city over the past 10 years, said Scott Rudder, president of the NJ CannaBusiness Association.
“Younger people are looking for healthier options, to expand their horizons and getting a little bit more into art and culture as well,” Rudder said. “Cannabis just fits in with that perfectly. You look at a town like Jersey City, and that’s how they’ve been positioning themselves for the past decade.”
Despite fears and the stigma that cannabis dispensaries would attract crime, dispensary owners and councilmembers say there’s been no uptick in complaints. Osbert Orduna, CEO of The Cannabis Place in Greenville, highlighted his business’ community contributions such as hosting open mics, comedy shows and yoga.
“We’re demonstrating that cannabis businesses can have a positive and supportive impact in the community,” Orduna said.
Councilmembers say they’re aiming to make sure that owners who are local, people of color and those harmed by the war on drugs can benefit the most from the new industry.
Councilman James Solomon added there’s “always ways to improve to ensure that we’re striking the right balance between addressing quality-of-life issues, but ensuring people have kind of the freedom to purchase recreational marijuana, exactly as the voters voted for.”
There are two other active recreational dispensaries in greater Hudson County, with one each in Harrison and Hoboken.