The Jersey City Council voted down approval for the Kine Buds dispensary for being located too close to another dispensary and a lack of community outreach, with a city official pledging to reform the cannabis control board (CCB) at last night’s meeting.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
Alexandra Alcala, of Neon Heights dispensary, expressed frustration that Kine Buds would practically be right next door to her business – 535 Newark Ave. versus 545 Newark Ave. – and called on the council to do their jobs.
“This would mark the fourth legal dispensary within three blocks of mine … I support a free market and competition, but I also invested my entire life into this,” she began, noting that their initial ordinance demanded a distance of 600 feet while their dispensary.
Another speaker, Matthew Keisoglu exclaimed that cannabis companies have high tax rates since federal prohibition cuts into their profits since they cannot deduct expenses. He wanted to see Kine Buds voted down as well.
“I represent this area, and I have never heard of this applicant. All the other dispensaries, whether I supported them or not, all reached out to me and my office … What happened to the cannabis board?” Ward C Councilman Rich Boggiano asked.
“ … We only have two members on the cannabis board. We had two resignations,” Acting Corporation Counsel Brittany Murray answered.
She said they wanted to change the local law to include changing the composition of the board at the next meeting. Nonetheless, Boggiano remained displeased.
“They have not had a meeting since January … This has been such a mess that almost everyone on the cannabis board quit,” he continued.
Boggiano noted that one of the only people left does not even live in the city and was also highly critical of the cannabis licensing process.
“This should not be approved,” he added.
“What would be the difference between the new board and the current structure of the board?” Ward A Councilwoman Denise Ridley asked.
“Currently it’s a five-member board … It would be a seven-member board. We did have issues with quorum issues and people having to recuse themselves,” Murray said.
“ … We’re not going to restore the current numbers of the board?” Ridley questioned.
“We don’t want to create confusion,” Business Administrator John Metro replied.
Ward D Councilman Yousef Saleh asked if the makeup would be five full-time members and an alternate, as well as if there would be a residency requirement. Murray replied that their proposal would be submitted to the council next week.
“We’ve said this a few times: We put a law in place, We didn’t want to have these businesses next to each other,” Ridley remarked, noting that it still happened.
“Good Lord, five doors away is really pushing it,” Ward F Councilman Frank “Educational” Gilmore declared.
Ridley was concerned about the legal repercussions of the distance rule not being followed.
“They can challenge the decision of the council. We’ve had multiple litigations about it. The city has used the time of application rule,” Murray said.
Ridley noted that the four cannabis businesses operating on that stretch of Newark Avenue cannot all be following the rules.
Additionally, Councilwoman-at-Large Amy DeGise claimed there are two illegal dispensaries near 545 Newark Ave and wanted them shut down.
“If anybody has information on those addresses they can come to me,” Metro stated, to which Ridley said she wanted a list of registered smoke shops in the city and Metro said he would oblige.
Ward B Councilwoman Mira Prinz-Arey explained she was happy the Quality of Life Task Force recently shut down an illegal dispensary in her ward.
“More of this is going to be coming,” she added before the resolution was voted down.
The Kine Buds proposal failed 1-5(2), with Ridley voting yes, while Boggiano, Saleh, Gilmore, DeGise, and Ward E Councilman James Solomon voting no.
Prinz-Arey and Council President Joyce Watterman abstained, while Councilman-at-Large Danny Rivera was absent.
Kine Buds has received New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission approval to operate in Maywood and Monroe. The Jersey City location is owned by Michel Daniel, who also owns the Blends Cafe at 80 Mallory Ave.
