The Jersey City Cannabis Control Board (CCB) granted final approval for the Golden Door Dispensary to open and initial approval for Glue Lagoon Farms.
Along with the new grower, two other dispensaries were also approved. All three must secure Planning Board and City Council approvals to open.
While there has been talk of changing the city’s rules, the City Council has delayed amending their law to address distance issues and limit the number of dispensaries for months.
CCB Chair Brittani Bunney was sworn in as Chair as part of an annual reorganization, and Jose Cantarero was again voted to be Vice Chair.
Golden Door Dispensary Approved to Open Soon
Golden Door Dispensary LLC at 638 Newark Avenue was reviewed first for final approval. According to his LinkedIn profile, owner Brett D’Alessandro lives in Verona in Essex County. They are among the cannabis companies doing business in New Jersey that won a grant.
Golden Door Dispensary secured a conversion to the annual license needed to open from the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) last August.
The CCB initially approved the Golden Door Dispensary initially in October 2022.
“Welcome back. It has been a long, strange trip,” CCB attorney Ron Mondello said. “Have you been able to successfully convert?”
“We have,” D’Alessandro said.
Mondello was also curious if they secured permits from the city. D’Alessandro said they had. So the CCB approved them 4-0 to open with Commissioner Courtney Sloane absent.
Glue Lagoon Farms Approved
Glue Lagoon Farms at 77 Forest Street, a cultivator, was next. They won a conditional license to be a licensed micro cultivator from the NJCRC and need approval from Jersey City to open.
“The board is very excited to get a 2nd cultivator in Jersey City,” Mondello declared.
“He has a huge focus on community investment as he is a Jersey City resident as am I,” cannabis advocate and attorney Scheril Murray Powell* said.
“I’m a (underground) legacy cultivator,” local owner Eli Terry said.
He explained he is a Social Equity license applicant and it’s a minority-owned business.
“It’s different from what you are seeing even in dispensaries,” he said of his flower.
“That stuff has been sitting on the shelf for a year!” Mondello said.
“Plus, it’s extremely low on THC (which gets you high),” Commissioner Jeff Kaplowitz added.
Glue Lagoon Farms was awarded a conditional license in 2022. They had property problems like many other applicants.*
Terry explained they would financially match employee donations to nonprofits.
“We’re going to do expungement clinics,” he added.
Terry said they want to work with Hudson County Commissioner and dispensary license holder Jerry Walker and work on his trade school endeavors.
“How many employees will you have?” Kaplowitz asked.
“We’re going to have 1-9 employees,” Terry replied.
“Your business plan was probably the most detailed and honest I’ve seen,” Kaplowitz said to applause. “Are you just going to do flower or oils?”
Terry said they want a manufacturing license and have room to make edibles. But for now, they just want to grow flower.
Underground Legacy to Legal Cannabis Grower Plans
“Hopefully, you’ll have your potency a lot more aligned with the West Coast than the East Coast,” Kaplowitz said.
Terry said they would work hard on the quality of their cannabis flower.
“Talk about your legacy growing and experimenting. A lot of the stuff out there is BS,” Kaplowitz said.
Terry said they work with breeders to find quality seeds.
“Growing on the West Coast, far cheaper than out here. Do you see that happening out here at some point?” Kaplowitz asked.
“It’s going to be a lot of West Coast brands that will try to flood the market,” Terry said.
He said locals and local tastes would prevail.
“Prices can go really up and really down,” Terry added.
“He’s been pheno (plant) hunting for years,” SMP explained. “He has actively pursued mentors in the space.”
“Are you going to do traditional dirt or hydroponics (with water)?” Kaplowitz asked.
“We’re going to do hydroponic,” Terry said.
Cantarero was curious if the Jersey City Police Department (JCPD) had approved their security plan. It had not.
“Demand is through the rough, and supply is at our feet,” Mondello noted.
Kaplowitz said they could approve them conditionally pending JCPD approval since setup takes time, and it was a good application.
Community Support
“This is my nephew. He comes from a long line of business owners. I have a flower shop. We always try to stay in our community,” Robin T. Munn said.
“Eli, he’s also a St Anthony’s Friar. He was part of that great team,” Hudson County Commissioner Jerry Walker said. “We are in full support of Eli. I’m going to be helping him. I have a vocational school nearby. We’ll have neighborhood eyes on it.”
Anthony Brown said he’s a former educator, and Terry was his student.
“I’m not even shocked at how he has all this stuff. I fully support him,” he added.
The CCB approved them 2-0-3, with Bunney, and Commissioner Sonia Marte-Dublin recused and Sloane absent.
“I look forward to you opening up,” Kaplowitz said.
Marest NJ Dispensary Pushed
Marest NJ, LLC at 4 Jordan Ave was adjourned and pushed to a later meeting. Attorney Beau Huch said they’re not from Jersey City but are trying to serve the city.
“We got the MOU with Hudson County Community College that had to go before their board,” he noted. “This Wednesday, we’re set to finalize another MOU.”
So Marest was carried again till the next meeting on March 25th.
The approval process has become progressively more difficult, with nearly 40 dispensaries approved by the Jersey City Council and even more by the CCB.
“Make sure they’re not adjourning the next time,” Kaplowitz said.
“Let us know two weeks before the meeting so we can put someone else on the agenda,” Bunney said.
“Understood,” Huch said.
Grass House Dispensary Approved
The dispensary Grass House Company at 523 Tonnele Avenue was next. They had been pushed several times.
Mondello noted they had to speak to resident groups.
“The only resident group on Tonnelle Avenue is the homeless,” Kaplowitz remarked.
“I have been very active in the community running around. I have some witnesses,” owner Michael Price said.
“Is there anyone here who represents an association?” Mondello asked.
Patrick Ambrosi, as President of the Leonard Gordon Park Conservancy and Western Slope Neighborhood Association, spoke in their favor.
“We have a plan that’s going to allow, to make sure he’s still involved with the community, whether it’s the park or whether its senior citizens or it’s the slope,” PA said. “Mike has kind of been in this process for some time now. We’ve given food to seniors.”
The Jersey City Cannabis Control Board approved them 2-0-3, with Marte-Dublin and Kaplowitz voting yes, Bunney and Cantarero were recused, and Sloane was absent.
Warrior Weed Dispensary Approved
Warrior Weed, LLC, at 415 Monmouth Street, was next. They were delayed from last October. Mondello said they needed to meet with the Brunswick School.
Owner Jamie Moran said they reached out to them.
“They didn’t call us back. I reached out to Eric from the village neighborhood association. He said we didn’t need to worry,” she explained.
“It’s about 1500 feet away from our site,” cannabis attorney Duncan Delano said.
Village Neighborhood Association Vice President Irene Barnaby said she had been a client of Moran’s other business, Urban Dog.
“She’ll be … a great neighborhood addition,” she declared.
They were approved 2-0-3 with Bunney and Marte-Dublin recused and Sloane absent.
Several Jersey City cannabis dispensaries are already open for adult-use cannabis sales:
- RIPT dispensary
- Downtown FLWR
- The Cannabis Place
- Garden Greenz
- 1634 Funk
- Leaf Joint
Jersey City has a lot of places to find alcohol. According to the Jersey City Commerce Department, the city has 191 bars/ and bar and grills, 6 hotel bars, and 104 liquor stores.
