The Hoboken City Council voted 5-3 on the second and final reading of an ordinance that will allow the Blue Violets cannabis dispensary to continue operating where it is after a contentious discussion at last night’s meeting.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Heading into the meeting, the dispensary running out of 628 Washington St. violated the “600-foot rule” that the council adopted as part of their “common sense” cannabis reforms in April 2022 (it was a “500-foot rule” prior to that).
“This ordinance is not about whether you like Blue Violets as a business … This is a change in a law after the fact to benefit a single business, ” council-at-large candidate Liz Urtecho, who is part of 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher’s slate,” said during public comment.
“The NJ Supreme Court has decided to hear this case … That’s how significant this case is,” she added, urging the council to vote no.
Urtecho is spearheading a legal effort via Hoboken for Responsible Cannabis, Inc. to stop Blue Violets from using their current storefront. A Hudson County Superior Court judge ruled in the nonprofit’s favor, while an appellate judge sided with Blue Violets.
“I have nothing else to add to all the messages you have received from your neighbors and your constituents about this situation and how ridiculous it has been,” Blue Violets Co-owner Lauren Thompson exclaimed.
“We’ve been operating for nearly a year-and-a-half without a single issue. I hope you continue to support this ordinance tonight and finally fix the mess I am in, as well as Village [dispensary].”
5th Ward Councilman Phil Cohen, an ordinance co-sponsor, said the very unique situation where they applied to the Cannabis Review Board prior to the ordinance passing only applies to Blue Violets.
“They are entitled to rely on that application and that process, and the time of application rule applies,” he argued.
“In August of 2022, Councilwoman Fisher got a text from the Mayor of Jersey City, and he asked her about what the rules were for the maps in Hoboken,” Cohen said, passing out copies of the text that appeared in the aforementioned litigation.”
He said Mayor Steven Fulop asked her for a map of “marijuana is going to be allowed in Hoboken.” Fisher replied in part that “Not sure but I can check. Right now it’s by zone.” Cohen took umbrage that she did not state she was seeking to change the existing law.
Cohen alleged this was all grandstanding as part of the lawsuit against Story dispensary by a nearby condo association in Fisher’s ward that expected a physical therapy practice to open at the former Hudson Tavern, 51–53 14th St.
The building is co-owned by Fulop’s wife, Jaclyn, and the residents involved with the lawsuit insisted they were never consulted about a cannabis dispensary.
“Nobody was tricked here. We worked for years to determine what the rules were, and Blue Violets and Village relied on those rules … There was a lot of fear…. And politicians seized on that fear and monopolized it, and citizens paid for private lawsuits to torture these businesses into submission.”
He added that two percent of every cannabis sale in the Mile Square City goes to a revenue fund they can use for their municipal budget.
Fisher then asked Council President Jim Doyle for a chance to respond, who said no one on the dais is entitled to two bites of the apple, to which she said she would not do unless Councilman-at-Large Joe Quintero, the other co-sponsor, decided to get involved.
“So there’s a phrase that I’m known to use, specifically with Team Bhalla, which is comfortably dishonest and literally what you just heard from Phil, from Councilman Cohen, is what he always does: Which is conflates issues and just makes s*** up,” she began.
“The reference here, this is very specifically a text message that the mayor of Jersey City sent me and he sent it to me about five days before our second reading of the ordinance [which was 2022, not 2021] I referenced two weeks ago where I said none of my colleagues paid attention to that ordinance.”
Doyle sought clarification that he was on top of the matter at the time, which Fisher acknowledged was correct. She said that prior to that vote, there was only a medicinal cannabis ordinance on the books – which she said she reiterated in her texts with Fulop.
Additionally, she said that the 2021 cannabis ordinance was voted on “with a gun to our head” and everyone besides Doyle missed where the cannabis zone was and eliminating a three dispensary cap to unlimited, which was 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo’s idea.
” … You just heard Councilman Cohen, in front of all of you and for everyone to hear, make his big campaign speech about what a terrible person I am because I want our laws to be followed,” Fisher exclaimed.
“ … I am not opposed to cannabis, not at all. I smoked a ton of pot in high school and college. I’m perfectly fine with cannabis gummies. I haven’t had gummies, but I’m perfectly fine with it. Let’s be clear: I supported every one of our dispensaries except the one that I believe … that seemingly didn’t follow our local laws.”
Quintero seemed amused once Fisher concluded and was eager to get his two cents in.
“I agree with Councilwoman Fisher: Don’t believe everything you hear on this dais, especially 90 percent of what I just heard,” Quintero said, praising Cohen as “one of the most stand up people I have ever met in my life.”
” … Really this is about honoring the time of application rule … We did change the law out from somebody’s feet, two applicants in particular: Village and Blue Violets. Both of them were, and still are – because of physics – within 600 feet of a school … We changed the rule because there was some public backlash, as I mentioned last time, some Reefer Madness against the Story dispensary, frankly.”
He added that if Blue Violets or Viola dispensary moves to another location, another dispensary couldn’t take the space. Fisher said that wasn’t true, to which Quintero said it is because “we’re grandfathering the time of application.”
Quintero also accused Fisher and Urtecho of being disingenuous and politicizing the issue at hand.
“If you want to sit on this dais and say I was duped because my colleague pulled the wool over my eyes, that means you’re not doing your job: You can’t talk out of both sides of your mouth!” 3rd Ward Councilman Mike Russo, another mayoral candidate, later shouted.
“I changed my vote based on the appellate decision and the based on the reality of the boots on the ground in the situation. It was a vacant storefront for over five years,” 4th Ward Councilman Ruben Ramos, yet another mayoral hopeful, explained.
Doyle joked that he didn’t have to tell anyone how much pot he smoked in high school since he didn’t smoke any before calling the vote.
The ordinance passed 5-3, with Fisher, Doyle, and 1st Ward Councilman Paul Presinzano voting no.
“Our cannabis businesses have operated responsibly, acted as good corporate citizens, and contributed meaningful revenue that benefits our entire city,” Mayor Ravi Bhalla said in a statement this morning.
“I commend the Council for listening to our community and acting decisively to protect local access and uphold the integrity of our review process.”