The Hoboken City Council saw the Green Room CBD shop and its supporters seek approval to become a dispensary in the wake of changing hemp laws during the public comment period of their regular meeting.

Green Room Supporters Work to Persuade Hoboken Council

“My concern is the future of the Green Room in Hoboken,” Ira Landgarten said. “I am concerned that they are not getting the support that they need in getting the proper licenses.”

“They have done everything needed to be done… I wonder why and who is acting as an obstacle…. Is anybody gonna address this? he asked.

“It’s typically not the forum, Mr. Landgarten, where we answer questions. You’re free to use your 5 min as u see fit,” said 5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen, who was serving as President Pro Tempore.

“So, I can’t ask questions?” Landgarten asked.

“You can pose a question …but typically we don’t have a back and forth during public portion,” Cohen noted.

“After everyone speaks,” 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo said.

“I’m concerned. I’ve known these people. I think they have acted as a very important part of this community,” Landgarten said.

“We have a very clear ordinance which governs the sale of cannabis dispensaries in our city and every business needs to comply with that law,” Cohen said. “Our law is consistent with New Jersey State law. “It’s clear. It’s transparent. There’s no mystery to it. You need to comply with the law. That’s true of every business in the city.”

“I’m obviously not going to get an answer,” Landgarten said.

Thank you,” Cohen said as the audience applauded Landgarten.

Green Room Defends Itself

“Green Room is much more than a cannabis shop. It is a 3rd party space for people to come hang out, have amazing conversations, meet someone like Ira you can talk to for 9 hours straight,” Green Room co-owner Evan Russell said.

“We have done everything right for 8 years. We get lab tested. We ID anyone who comes in…,” he explained.

“I’m asking for some type of grandfather amendment from you guys to be able to keep selling what we have,” Russell said.

“We were recently visited by the Board of Health multiple times as well as the taxation department, and we were notified to remove about 70 to 75 percent of our items,” he noted. “Without being able to sell the things we previously had, we were probably going to go out of business, and you’re going to have a lot of upset people …”

Community Space and Healing People

“Hello Council. I believe I’ve met you in the Green Room, or last week,” Green Room budtender Felicia Jones said.

“Welcome back,” Cohen said.

Jones also wanted a letter of support for the Green Room.

“…We offer something that’s more than intoxication. We offer community space,” she argued. “… We want to do this right…”

“… The Green Room means a lot to me because not only I came in as a customer, I became a family member there. I met my girlfriend there…,” Alena Acevedo said. “Don’t shut them down. Grandfather them in…”

“They even helped me with my mom and her leg pain…,” she explained emotionally. “Watching my mother struggle to walk is very hard. And to see them really try to help her, because medication is very expensive… Y’all don’t even understand!”

Dealing with Hoboken Politics

“We’re coming up on our 8-year anniversary, and I’m worried we’re not going to be able to celebrate it,” Green Room Founder Darek Wajda said.

“The municipality is not trying to shut us down. The municipality is not endorsing us to receive a letter that we need to apply for a state license. That’s why I’m here speaking today,” he explained.

“I feel I’ve been targeted. My business has been subject to 5 inspections in the last 2 weeks,” Wajda declared. “I’ve done nothing but protect the community here.”

He noted they reached the cap they imposed after the controversial Story dispensary application caused a significant backlash.

“Looking at the budget crisis in Hoboken, there’s an estimated gap for 2027 of another $4 million,” Wajda said. “An easy way to bring in capital is by allowing more stores that pay licensing fees.”

“The only pushback I’ve heard so far from this Council is that residents will be upset if there are more dispensaries in town. I think the residents are upset their taxes got increased 11 and a half percent,” he argued.

Potential Competitive Hoboken Dispensary Approval Process

After the public comment portion, Russo noted the cap would require the Council to change the law.

“If we in fact did that, that still would not guarantee Green Room would have that license. It would go to an open process,” he explained.

“I’m 100 percent supportive of increasing the number of licenses in the city of Hoboken. After I said that there were a lot of crickets in that committee meeting,” Russo said.

He noted the previous backlash.

“Everyone who operates in the city needs to comply with the law…,” Cohen said.

He also noted that if they did change the city’s cannabis law, it would trigger a competitive dispensary application process.

“When the Green Room was on 14th St, I was a customer of that shop,” Cohen added. “I hope you all feel like you have been heard.”