The Jersey City Council is poised to cap the number of adult-use cannabis dispensaries at 55 with a first-reading ordinance on Wednesday.
While 55 is indeed a lot, it is a cap. Most cities have a far smaller cap. They were previously uncapped.
The narrow rules governing cannabis company locations and limited real estate throughout New Jersey towns are serving as an unspecified de facto state cap.
“How did we arrive at 55?” Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational” Gilmore asked.
“I think it’s more the number of applications, and this was a choice by the administration,” Assistant Corporation Counsel John McKinney said.
“Can we get a report from the CCB (Cannabis Control Board)? We were supposed to get a report on a quarterly basis. I’d like to know how many are minority-owned; how many are Multi-State Operators. I’d like to know how many we applied so far,” Saleh said.
“I’ll reach out the CCB,” Baker said.
It was not determined how many have been approved by the CCB thus far. Heady NJ estimates about 20. The Council has only approved about nine resolutions for cannabis dispensaries allowing them to operate.
Cannabis Dispensary Concerns
“Whatever the remainder is, we need to have at least 50 percent for minority-owned applications, similar to New York City. We should definitely look into that,” Saleh said.
“What happens if all the dispensaries are one ward?” Gilmore asked.
“We gotta come up with a number. It seems everyone is coming to us. We need to know how many are approved,” Watterman said. “Other municipalities capped it.”
“Let’s say we cap it at 55. What happens if someone loses their license, is there a reserve pool?” Gilmore asked.
“There should be,” Watterman said.
“Can you sell this?” Gilmore asked.
“No. There’s a possibility some could lose their license,” McKinney said.
Jersey City Business Administrator John Metro said they would have the material before the Wednesday meeting, and the cap might be changed before passage.
Commerce Director Maynard Woodson also noted the adult-use cannabis dispensary Garden State Greenz is poised to be approved with their resolution on Wednesday. They participated in a recent job fair.
