Authorized Dealer Dispensary opened the latest location of its local underground legacy to legal owned chain in North Bergen, by Walmart, in Hudson County.
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Authorized Dealer Dispensary in North Bergen by Walmart
Heady NJ got a tour right after their soft opening. Operations Director Haig Vartivarian noted they were featuring discounts to celebrate it.
The grand opening was held when I was on vacation.
It’s a spacious place with a great wall of colorful posters of pro-weed musicians that range from Redman and Method Man, along with Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan, to Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Ozzy Osbourne, and Willie Nelson. They are among other noted musicians.
“We’re trying to do anything we can to make it easier for customers to shop,” Vartivarian noted.
He added that they offer multiple discounts at once by stacking them.
They also offer delivery in most of Hudson County along with parts of Bergen County and Essex County. Vartivarian noted they are working with the new delivery company Terp Taxi.
Authorized Dealer owner Nick Desai designed the stores himself. He said it is likely the only dispensary close to a Walmart popular with many in the region since they are in a strip mall that is technically separate in a large complex.
Wide Selection of NJ Cannabis Products
“Our goal is to open the eyes of locals in terms of what’s out there,” Vartivarian explained. “We pride ourselves on our assortment and our pricing.”
He noted they have smaller and local growers like Breakwater, Roman Brothers, Full Tilt Labs, High Grass Farms, Glass Meadows, Craft Kings, and Garden Greens, along with companies from elsewhere like Clade 9, Panda Farms, and large corporate Multi-State Operators (MSOs).
They also have a bunch of manufacturing brands like Gron, which has rosin-based gummies, along with other manufacturing companies like Fernway and Lili Extracts, 1906, and Cookies.
Notably, they have newer products like Highly Original infused powders by Mojo Botanicas and Boho Euphoric sprays.
They also have hemp THC drinks like Blur, along with ButACake’s cannabis drinks and botted drinks from Boho Euphorics.
Vartivarian explained they are selling Best in Grass Cannabis Cup 2026 judge kits, which include Niche NJ cannabis flower.
Locally and Underground Legacy to Legal Owned
Nick is the leading main partner of Niche NJ, along with Authorized Dealer. He is a longtime Jersey City resident and cannabis industry operator.
Nick said Niche was a 2019-2021 medical cannabis license winner as CYOUR LLC. He noted they finally got into the New Jersey cannabis market in September 2024. Nick noted how expensive it was to survive the open after holding property for months amidst mismanagement and lawsuits.
“It’s just been trying to recover the investment from back them. It would have been easier to get an AU (Adult-Use) license,” he lamented.
Nick is a longtime underground legacy operator from Jersey City who began his cannabis career at a Catholic school. He noted he has sold a lot of weed over the years.
“I have a PhD in this business. I’ve been doing it since ’98,” Nick declared.
“I’m as legacy as it gets!” he exclaimed. “I’m finally getting to do this on a scale that feels right. Hopefully it all works out right.”
Authorized Dealer and Niche NJ
Niche is their sister company. So they have deals on their flower and feature a large range of products, including their other brand Goodies. It features good strains like Blue Dream, which is uplifting.
Nick explained he strives for great craft cannabis quality under the Niche brand, so it’s priced similar to high-end liquor and wine.
“We grow for flavor,” he declared. “I grow weed to grow good weed. It’s more Niche.”
“I strive for better. Our genetics are strong,” Nick added.
“The most fulfilling part is that out of all the things I’ve done, I now employ close to 100 employees,” he said.
Nick was big on having World Cup-themed jars that had fun stickers on the bottom.
Niche recently hosted an educational event at the URB’N dispensary lounge promoting their product and World Cup-branded jars.
Nick wants to differentiate his product by providing plenty of information about along with a little art.
Small Local Dispensary Chain
Authorized Dealer has grown quickly. Notably, they have another dispensary already in North Bergen on Tonnelle Avenue north of Ice-T’s former dispensary in Jersey City down the road.
Along with Authorized Dealer’s other location, Hud Haus dispensary is also nearby in North Bergen.
Vartivarian explained they have enough space on Tonnelle Avenue to have a few vendors and brand pop-ups when they host events centered on painting or yoga with food trucks outside. Authorized Dealer has also collaborated with Higher Function and Bar Canna as well at different parties.
Authorized Dealer bought Bay Street Greenery on Bay St. in downtown Jersey City and renamed it. It’s where Heady NJ got its 2026 High Times NJ Cannabis Cup Indica Flower Judge Kit.
Vartivarian noted they will change the colorful atmosphere of the place and install a wall of pro-weed music posters, like in their other locations.
They also recently opened a 4th store in Willingboro in South Jersey.
So, Authorized Dealer is one of the larger and newer independent New Jersey cannabis dispensary chains.
