Terrapin, who have proposed their facility about a block away at 86 River Street, filed a lawsuit on September 22 in Hudson county court looking to overturn Harmony’s approvals. Named in the case are Hoboken’s planning board, SBRE Realty Management, and Harmony Foundation.
The case claims that Harmony is attempting to circumvent the aforementioned cannabis ordinance, which Hoboken substantially amended in June 2020. The new regulations require the city’s Medical Cannabis Review Board evaluate any submitted site plan and provide a “favorable report,” something the suit says did not happen in Harmony’s case.
The lawsuit argues that Harmony, who submitted their application before the Medical Cannabis Review Board was established, should be required to go back to the board and obtain a favorable report before they open. If not, the case concludes that “Harmony would unfairly evade a crucial regulatory requirement with which other applicants must comply.”
Terrapin furthermore claims that Harmony did not have permission from the state’s Department of Health to operate in Hoboken when the planning board approved their application, which is another requirement under the city’s cannabis ordinance.