Elevated by Cannaboss Lady, Indigo, and Organic Farms Dispensary had their grand openings for a total of 55 New Jersey adult use cannabis dispensaries now open.
CannaBoss Lady Grand Opening
The Cannaboss Lady dispensary had a soft opening in September in Maplewood in Essex County.
“Today, on this joyous occasion, we have gathered here at the grand opening of my dispensary in beautiful Maplewood village,” The Cannaboss Lady herself, CEO Jill Cohen, declared. “I stand before you with immense gratitude, overwhelmed by the love and support. Thank you all for joining us on this marvelous day.”
Cohen thanked Maplewood Mayor Dean Dafis and Council and the many city officials who had helped along the way.
“Your support has been the cornerstone of my success,” she said. “I am truly humbled by the overwhelming response we have received in our early days. We are committed to serving you with unwavering dedication.”
Cohen thanked her husband, Dan for standing by her side and supporting her during all my “blood, sweat, and tears.”
Initially, she had a CBD store and put the dispensary on the other side of the building. Cohen noted her daughter helped launch the CBD shop.
“You’re my inspiration. I love you,” she said.
Cohen then thanked attorney Dan Pierre as “the best cannabis lawyer I could ever have. He talked me off the ledge many times. He always celebrated every little milestone that I made.”
She also thanked TJ Jdhav of Mojo Botanica, who she said would be her manufacturer and cultivator.
“Thank you for also being a rock,” Cohen added.
Many Thanked
She then thanked PR specialist Stu Zakim, cannabis entrepreneurs Holli Erlich and her husband Robert Allen, Hugh Giordano of the UFWCW union, Enrique and Kristen of cannabis insider, Kym B of Tribes Tokes, and me, Dan Ulloa of Heady NJ.
Cohen acknowledged the help of her diverse staff for helping her launch the dispensary.
“We have faced countless challenges. But our shared determination and resilience has brought us here today,” she declared.
“My gratitude goes out to my loyal customers. You are the reason we are here today, ” Cohen said.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Cannaboss Lady in Maplewood,” she exclaimed. I thank each and every one of you for being part of this special day.”
Support from Maplewood Village
“They say if you want to get something done, you give it to a busy woman. And Jill, got it done,” Dafis declared.
He noted Cohen started the Cannaboss Lady business before Maplewood allowed New Jersey adult use cannabis dispensaries.
She was one of many New Jersey entrepreneurs who opened a CBD store in hopes of converting it into a dispensary.
“Because of her resilience and her tenacity, she is the first female micro dispensary in the county!” Dafis declared to applause. “We’re really, really proud of you, Jill! We’re proud of you for what you’re doing to legitimize the cannabis industry.”
“As governing body members, we never, we never looked away from cannabis. We were advocates for legalization. We believe that the stigma has to go away. This is a legal product. People use it for health and wellness, and adults use it for recreation, and that’s okay!” he declared to great applause.
Dafis noted the need to promote other businesses that are woman and minority-owned.
“I already sent my first tax check to you guys,” Cohen joked.
Block Party Fun
The CannaBoss Lady dispensary took over the block with a party including, a DJ, a band, and Jamaican food like goat curry, and Halloween candy. Across the street, her neighbor Cactus Charly had chips and guacamole for samples. There were also pretzels.
In addition, there were a few cannabis brand tables outside, like Miss Grass and Kind Tree. There was also the manufacturer Fernway. Based in Massachusetts, they said they will have products in the New Jersey adult use cannabis market next month. They will also be in New York soon, making them a baby Multi-State Operator (MSO) compared to some.
While locals and New Jersey cannabis professionals and business owners enjoyed the party, a lady was politicking for write-in Board of Education candidates at the event.
Cohen has been immersed in the cannabis community for some time. Before opening her CBD store, JC was part of Canna Gather NJ. Cohen is a proud Jewish female entrepreneur. The Cannaboss Lady has been active in Maplewood.
Mirroring distance issues in Jersey City, the Black-owned Noire Dispensary is having a grand opening on the corner this Saturday.
According to Councilman Vic De Luca two more New Jersey adult use cannabis dispensaries are opening in Maplewood, including a medical that can convert in a few months for five in the town of 25,000.
(Full disclosure Jill Cohen is a Heady NJ Patreon subscriber).
Indigo Dispensary Open in Brooklawn
Indigo Dispensary, a new legal cannabis shop on the border of Philadelphia in Camden County, celebrated its Grand Opening on Wednesday.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony for Indigo Dispensary was presided over by Brooklawn Mayor Julie McCleary while former Mayor Teri Branella joined. Both expressed their support for the dispensary’s contribution to the community.
Legislative Director Kyle Hanson of State Senator Nilsa Cruz-Perez’s office was also there. Cruz-Perez She secured a ceremonial resolution from the New Jersey Legislature for Indigo Dispensary, which is unique.
The grand opening event was a success. According to their spokesperson, hundreds of flocked to the new establishment.
“Indigo Dispensary owes much of its remarkable support to the close-knit community it had been building even before its doors officially opened,” he added.
With a sprawling 5,000 square feet of retail space, Indigo Dispensary offers a range of cannabis products to cater to the diverse needs of its New Jersey adult use consumer customers.
One of the employees is a graduate of Stockton University after completing Professor Rob Mejia’s Cannabis Studies program. It reflects Indigo Dispensary’s commitment to educating customers to make informed purchasing decisions.
Smelling Cannabis Flower to Determine Quality
Indigo features a flower bar where customers can interact and even smell the various strains, enabling them to make informed choices based on their preferences.
Like wine, the quality of cannabis can be detected through the smell. It’s a significant problem that most legal New Jersey adult use cannabis products cannot be smelled prior to purchase to determine their quality.
The Indigo Dispensary is located at 302 Crescent Blvd in Brooklawn. According to the South Jersey Observer, they bought the property for $700,000 in 2021.
The Indigo Dispensary owners are Michael Ziegler and Ivan Valencia. Ivan and Michael worked together for over 20 years. Valencia is from Ecuador.
Puffin CEO Nathan Yanovitch was on hand to celebrate their opening.
According to Pufin Marketing Specialist Anthony Feliciano, “Nathan has been a good friend of Michael Zeigler for almost 20 years and has some influence over his businesses. And vice versa with Michael, who is a CPA (Certified Public Accountant). Michael brings accounting and finance expertise as Nathan would set up retail stores. There is no ownership or role with Nathan. And as I also work with Nathan, all my work is tied with Puffin.”
The South Jersey Chamber of Commerce promoted its opening. Indigo Dispensary was among the winners of a $250,000 grant recently.
(Full disclosure: Indigo Dispensary was among the sponsors of the Heady Home Grow Forum in June.)
Organic Farms Dispensary Opens in Camden
The Organic Farms dispensary was recently the first New Jersey adult use cannabis dispensary to open in the city of Camden in Camden County. It’s a micro business, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
They’re located at 2895 Mt Ephraim Ave. in Camden. It used to be a bank.
It’s notable that they have a drive-thru. It’s exceedingly rare to find a New Jersey cannabis dispensary drive-thru.
The Organic Farms Dispensary seems to want to sell its own adult use New Jersey cannabis flower.
On their website, they say they are minority-owned. The Founder and Head Operator is Dominic Rivera, a Hispanic American. According to the New Jersey Monitor, Rivera went into $1 million debt to open the dispensary.
Paying rent to hold the property bled him and many, many others out. Like every dispensary and everything in the New Jersey cannabis industry, it took longer than expected to open.
Rivera is a Camden local and a former banker. On the website,, he explained he was diagnosed with diabetes, and CBD helped him heal.
Rivera first opened a CBD shop in Philadelphia. But he sold it due to COVID.
It’s interesting it’s across from Philadelphia, PA where adult use cannabis is not legal. Legal cannabis products aren’t supposed to cross state lines.
But no one is checking.
They probably want a cultivator license or farm since it’s in their name. No one wants to stay a micro business.
They got their conversion from a conditional license to an annual adult use New Jersey cannabis dispensary license in April. CF got their conditional license last July.
