The minority and veteran-owned Citi Roots dispensary has been doing well in Kingston in South Brunswick in Central Jersey near Princeton University.
About ten minutes north of Jersey’s Ivy League School is a fantastic dispensary worth visiting on your weed journey.
I was greeted by knowledgeable budtenders. Every worker was gracious in explaining the extensive selection. Citi Roots offers many top brands, including Clade9, Legend, Pete’s Farmstand, and many more.
Various options are important when finding the right strain for you and your lifestyle.
Cannabis flower, pre-rolls, edibles, vaporizers, and concentrates are all available at Citi Roots. They are among those carrying the locally made OGeeze! gummies.
Online ordering makes for an easy pickup. But this spot is worth staying around. The place has a fun ambiance, attentive budtenders who know more than enough to help you, and a dedicated owner ready to share his business with us.
In addition to a generous discount for fellow service members, Citi Roots dispensary owner Ahmad Azmi makes sure that folks coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can find the support they need since he is a veteran.
Citi Roots Dispensary Ownership Background
A dispensary is only as great as its leader. Azmi is a US Navy Seabee veteran who served in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Kuwait. As a veteran, he recognizes the mental and physical benefits of medical marijuana consumption.
As an entrepreneur, Ahmad is committed to upholding cannabis to enhance lives and foster well-being. He champions social equity in part by helping marginalized groups find community at Citi Roots. Ahmad’s vision for Citi Roots is already making a positive impact through gainful employment and collaborations on community events that bring the community of Kingston into the fold.
Ahmad was a valedictorian of his high school in North Brunswick and graduated from Rutgers University. The former athlete has always been motivated to share his knowledge with others.
The NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) awarded Citi Roots an annual dispensary license in February 2024. It first won a conditional license first in October 2023. Citi Roots was one of the lucky few to win a financial grant from the NJ Economic Development Authority (EDA). The NJCRC recently renewed its annual dispensary license.
After helping a few customers, Ahmad shared his goals for the future while embracing success.
What made you get started in this growing industry?
A.A.: So a lot of my fellow veterans were experiencing, especially at this age, pain, PTSD, and trouble sleeping. I started exploring cannabis. It’s helped me. So I’ve become an advocate, a strong believer, and I kind of just wanted to start helping out and spreading the word.
I started educating other veterans about the medicinal purposes and the benefits. I live nearby. I’m from North Brunswick, which is the town over. I was very familiar with Kingston. I just jumped on it, and we have some great clientele and very happy customers.
Why should folks come to your dispensary?
A.A.: We pride ourselves on being a nice, elegant boutique dispensary with high-quality products, so right now, I am very happy with the selections that we have, and we have some very select vendors that we’re working with that are only in select dispensaries that we’re happy to carry.
How would you describe your space?
A.A.: We love this mom-and-pop boutique feeling of this dispensary here at Citi Roots. With the competition here in Jersey, one thing we do to thrive is educate budtenders to get the customers exactly what they need. Customer service is, you know, big here.
Really excited to see where the next year takes us. Hopefully, just like any other business owner, growth, more involvement around the community, and just kind of spreading the awareness. And helping as many people they can along the process.
What strains would you recommend?
A.A.: As flower goes, I’m just I’ve been liking smoking Niche lately. It’s a good upcoming brand here in Jersey. As far as the sleep goes, I like the Zankt. That really helps me sleep. Then, just as far as overall mood and gummies, I like the Camino T8 CV. Those are probably like my go-to. But there’s always new strains, new flavors and stuff coming. So excited to see what is upcoming in the next couple of months.
Love that you’re so involved in the community.
A.A.: Like I said, this is a small-knit community here in Kingston, New Jersey.
We’ve got our main customers come from South Brunswick, Plainsboro, Hillsboro, Kingston itself, Princeton, North Brunswick, South Brunswick, and Rocky Hill. I just want to thank the community for welcoming me. I’ve also seen a lot of support here as a veteran, a disabled veteran. So just very thankful to be a part of this community. I’ve been trying to give back as much as I can to show my appreciation.
Can you talk about your entrepreneurial experience?
A.A.: I have vast experience in entrepreneurship. I’ve had plenty of different businesses, whether it was in the beauty industry or recruiting. One thing I do love is seeing all the customers leave with a happy smile on their faces and repeat customers returning to restock the products they love. They all now know me and my whole staff by first name. They’re just happy to be back. They come in with a smile and leave with a smile. So just happy just building a relationship with the customers and making sure they get what they need.
We also spoke to their General Manager Emily about working there and her product recommendations featured in the video below (which is working well).
The dispensary is just a short drive away at 4585 Rt 27 Main Street in Kingston.
