Rapper, movie, and TV star Ice-T led the Medicine Woman cannabis dispensary’s packed grand opening celebration in Jersey City this past Saturday over the 4/20 weekend.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
“Thank you all for your support. Go back inside and buy some pharmaceuticals. Stop playing,” Ice-T joked before cutting the actual ribbon at 660 Tonnelle Ave.
Council President Joyce Watterman was among the dozens who attended the ceremony.
“It’s a good thing when you can open up. I know he’s been waiting five years to get this done. So, I’m glad today’s the day and congratulate him. It’s been a hard road,” she explained.
“They’ve been in the trenches. So, it’s good that people see the value of our local people.”
Ice-T also spoke with several reporters on hand about the endeavor.
“We have basically franchised an LA dispensary into New Jersey. So when we hit the ground running, We know how to make it happen,” he said.
“I said if I were able to get a license in New Jersey because I’m from New Jersey, would you guys mentor me? And they said we’ll partner with you. I’m proud to be part of something that’s changing the conversation around cannabis, giving people access to products they can trust and providing opportunities to the New Jersey community.”
Co-owner Charis Burrett, a former Playboy model, explained to News 12 that they opened as a medical cannabis dispensary and delivery service in California first.
“It just feels really good to be welcomed to Jersey and bring the culture of Medicine Woman, a little California culture, to the East Coast and bring something a little different than I see here,” she said.
“We’re really happy to bring that culture into this community. We’ve hired within this community. We’re working with the city college. We’re looking to do as many things as comes our way.”
They noted how they are working with the Last Prisoner (LPP), a non-profit working to help free cannabis felons.
“My father did eight years in prison for cannabis. We had the first dispensary in LA County, the first three ever. So, I’ve been in and around and experienced prison and cannabis firsthand. It’s dear to our heart,” co-owner Luke Burrett, Chasis’ husband, explained.
Ice-T told Forbes he doesn’t actually smoke marijuana, though he did sell in high school and has tried it before.
“I’m an orphan. I don’t have a mother, father, sisters, brothers, uncles … And I just always felt being high compromised my position in the streets,” he told them.
Anthony Shawn “Treach” of Naughty by Nature is also a business partner, a 50 percent owner to be exact, and was on the scene for the celebration as well.
“It is about weed that is actually helpful for you,” he told News 12.
Guests enjoyed an incredible lineup of celebrities who were there to support the cause.
For example, the party featured a meet & greet with Taylor Kinney, an actor known for his role in Chicago Fire and a Medicine Woman investor.
The Medicine Woman also hosted an epic 420 “Blazing & Praisin” celebration, blending cannabis culture, spirituality, and community engagement in a way that reflects the brand’s bold, inclusive ethos.
The parking lot was full and it was intense and traffic on Tonnelle Avenue was especially robust for a Saturday afternoon. Those who paid for VIP packages were eager to get pictures with Ice-T, who was clearly the most popular person in attendance.
Inside the dispensary was packed with well-wishers, friends, and other celebrities, some of which who came outside to do autograph signings.
The waiting room is bigger than some bars, the middle section is a large glass shop that sells t-shirts, while the third room is the actual dispensary with cannabis products for sale.
Ice-T’s awards for selling gold and platinum records were displayed prominently on the side wall as well.
The Medicine Woman is open at 660 Tonnelle Avenue between Green Stop Wellness and Blossom dispensaries.
