The Jersey City Cannabis Control Board (CCB) granted final approval for the Golden Door Dispensary to open, as well as initial approval for cultivator Glue Lagoon Farms, with two other dispensaries given the initial okay and one carried at last night’s meeting.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
The public hearing was also technically a reorganization meeting, though Brittani Bunney will remain chair for a third term and Jose Cantarero will be vice chair for a second term.
Golden Door Dispensary LLC, at 638 Newark Ave., was reviewed first for final approval. According to his LinkedIn profile, owner Brett D’Alessandro lives in Jersey City and he is among several cannabis companies doing business in New Jersey that won a state grant.
Additionally, Golden Door Dispensary secured a conversion to the annual license needed to open from the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) last August and received their initial CCB approval in October 2022.
“Welcome back. It has been a long, strange trip. Have you been able to successfully convert?” CCB attorney Ron Mondello said, which D’Alessandro said they had and secured permits from the city.
The board didn’t need to hear much more than that, unanimously approving the application 4-0, with Commissioner Courtney Sloane absent.
Glue Lagoon Farms at 77 Forest Street, a cultivator, was next.
“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, noting that 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 exclaimed.
“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, however, like many applicants, they had trouble acquiring and maintaining property.
Terry explained they would financially match employee donations to nonprofits, as well as host expungement clinics.
Terry said they want to work with Hudson County Commissioner (D-3) Jerry Walker, who also has a stake in a local cannabis business, and work on his trade school endeavors.
During questioning, he said he planned to have one to nine employees, have acquired a manufacturing license, and also have the ability to make edibles. However, they just want to grow flower for the time being.
“Your business plan was probably the most detailed and honest I’ve seen,” Kaplowitz said to applause.
“Hopefully you’ll have your potency a lot more aligned with the West Coast than the East Coast,” he said, to which Terry said they would work hard on their product.
“Are you going to do traditional dirt or hydroponics (with water)?” Kaplowitz later asked.
“We’re going to do hydroponic,” Terry replied
Cantarero was curious if the Jersey City Police Department had approved their security plan, to which Terry said they had not.
Kaplowitz said they could approve them conditionally, pending Jersey City police approval since getting set up takes time and it is a strong application.
“Eli, he’s also a St Anthony’s Friar. He was part of that great team. 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,” Walker said.
Anthony Brown, a former educator who taught Terry, also spoke in his favor.
The CCB approved them 2-0(2) with Bunney and Commissioner Sonia Marte-Dublin recusing themselves and Sloane absent.
Marest NJ, LLC, seeking to open at 4 Jordan Ave., had their application adjourned and pushed to a later meeting.
“We got the MOU with Hudson County Community College that had to go before their board. This Wednesday, we’re set to finalize another MOU,” Attorney Beau Huch explained.
Given the circumstances, the application was carried, tentatively until the March 25th meeting. Bunney asked for two weeks notice prior to the meeting in the event they are not ready so another applicant can fill the spot on the agenda, to which Huch agreed.
The dispensary Grass House Company, with a storefront at 523 Tonnelle Ave., had been waiting to be heard for months.
Mondello noted they had to speak to resident groups, to which Kaplowitz replied “the only resident group on Tonnelle Avenue is the homeless.”
“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 Ambrossi, 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. Mike has kind of been in this process for some time now. We’ve given food to seniors,” he explained.
The application passed 2-0(2), with Marte-Dublin and Kaplowitz voting yes, Bunney and Cantarero recusing, and Sloane was absent.
Finally, Warrior Weed, LLC, at 415 Monmouth St., had been delayed since October. Mondello said they needed to meet with the Brunswick School before they could get serious consideration from the board.
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 1,500 feet away from our site,” cannabis attorney Duncan Delano
said.
Village Neighborhood Association Vice President Irene Barnaby said she has been a client of Moran’s other business, Urban Dog.
“She’ll be … a great neighborhood addition,” she declared.
They received the green light with another 2-0(2) that was identical to the other two from Monday evening.
I am so amused watching grown people get so excited about weed shops like they are kids. Pot is something you did in High School and then move on. Just what this country needs, more dope head wastrels developing psychosis with the high THC levels in today’s pot. I hope they all go out of business. The black market will never go away and I’m rooting for the street dealers.
Funny, you don’t sound amused. You sound bitter. Anyone who roots for street crime is pathetic.
Anyone who thinks getting stoned is cool is pathetic. The street dealers will under price and maintain the majority of market share. Good! The wannabes will sink under their debt, like they have in CA and CO.
You know not for nothing but I think we have enough of these around enough all ready