The California-based Medicine Woman dispensary, partially owned by legendary actor and rapper Ice-T, opened in Jersey City recently on Tonnelle Avenue.
It is open for both medical and adult-use cannabis sales.
The two-story, 10,000-square-foot dispensary features 3,000 square feet of retail space plus 3,000 square feet for executive offices.
“This is where I’m from. I came up here, and now I’m coming back to build something that gives back,” said Ice-T.
“This isn’t just about selling cannabis. It’s about creating opportunity and correcting injustice in communities that were hit hardest,” he added.
“We’re thrilled to be officially opening the doors of The Medicine Woman Jersey City after years of hard work and dedication,” said co-founder Charis Burrett.
“The East Coast is poised to become the largest cannabis market in the world. We’re excited to provide the community direct and safe access to the finest global plant medicines. We offer only products whose integrity, quality, and potency align with our standard of ‘Nothing but the Best,” she added.
Dispensary Details
Four thousand square feet is reserved for future expansion, including a cannabis consumption lounge and a manufacturing operation.
Jersey City will allow cannabis consumption lounges. However, they are eager to limit the number but details remained difficult. The ordinance is being updated this week.
The Medicine Woman dispensary was designed for accessibility and sustainability. So, the site includes a newly constructed parking lot with ample capacity and Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations.
They said they want to ensure “a smooth experience for both customers and staff.”
Their menu is dominated by Multi-State Operator (MSO) brands.
Grand Opening 4/19 with Ice-T
Ice-T will be at the Grand Opening on Saturday, 4/19 on 4/20 weekend since that is Easter Sunday.
According to the company, the event will feature a ribbon cutting ceremony, live music, local food vendors, celebrity guests, and exclusive giveaways. The first 100 people will get gift bags for 420.
The Medicine Woman will also host an epic 420 “Blazing & Praising” celebration, blending cannabis culture, spirituality, and community engagement to reflect the brand’s bold, inclusive ethos.
Ice-T Background
Ice-T is a native Jersey Boy from Newark who had to leave Jersey due to tragic circumstances to move to California in the 6th grade. As part of his CCB testimony, he said he has lived in Edgewater in Bergen County for several years.
He went from being a very successful rapper to a prolific actor, including playing police Sgt. Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit (SVU) for 25 years.
Social Justice Values
According to them, The Medicine Woman is committed to championing justice through national and local charity partnerships, funding, awareness campaigns, and employment pathways.
They said the dispensary will have a team of 15 employees, all recruited from the local community.
A few dispensaries in competitive urban markets have already reported laying off staff.
In partnership with Hudson County Community College (HCCC), The Medicine Woman will offer students experience, internships, and direct job placement. This educational pipeline is designed to open long-term career opportunities in a rapidly expanding industry.
So, the brand said it is proud to prioritize local hiring and workforce development supported by its West Coast team.
In addition, as part of its core mission, The Medicine Woman is collaborating with the Last Prisoner Project. It is a popular national nonprofit working to free individuals incarcerated for nonviolent cannabis offenses and support their reentry into society.
The Medicine Woman Dispensary of Jersey City Details
The fully renovated facility will begin welcoming customers with a soft opening on Thursday, March 27th.
They are calling it their “Flagship East Coast location.” That suggests they are planning to create a larger chain.
Charis and Luke Burrett founded The Medicine Woman in 2015 in Southern California as a nonprofit medical cannabis delivery company.
Charis was a Playboy model before opening the dispensary.
The Medicine Woman Jersey City is their first endeavor outside of California.
The Jersey City Cannabis Control Board (CCB) approved them in July 2022. In January 2024, the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) approved them for the annual dispensary license needed to open legally.
The NJCRC award letter was addressed to the Operations Vice President John Batchelor, who is based in New York on LinkedIn.
Cannabis celebrity brands are popular because they catch the eye because they’re well known. What they add in terms of quality and standards is another story. They do not always do well. Rap mogul Jay-Z, for example, had problems in California.
Intense Jersey City Cannabis Dispensary Competition
The Medicine Woman dispensary is between two other dispensaries at 660 Tonnelle Avenue in Jersey City.
They are the center dot between Green Stop Wellness and Blossom Dispensary.
The competition is likely to be cutthroat, with an arms race of deals and pop-up events similar to dispensaries in competitive towns.
Jersey City never figured out when to stop a company, to the dismay of many angry dispensary owners.
Arguably someone who spent more than $100,000 just to try to open should be given a chance to open. Many of them were told how intense the distance issue was at meetings and wanted to continue to try to open anyway.
Entrepreneurs have been rushing to secure and defend their turf at CCB, Planning Board, and City Council meetings, along with filing lawsuits in court.
The Jersey City Council is updating its cannabis ordinance this Wednesday to impose a limit of 48 dispensaries and 6 lounges.
In general, smoke shops selling intoxicating hemp and the underground legacy market increase the competition. These make it difficult to have a win-win mentality when seemingly fighting with a zero-sum survival mode mentality.
It’s also difficult because the federal tax code makes it hard for licensed cannabis companies to deduct their expenses, which also eats into their profit margin.
