Breakwater Treatment and Wellness went before the zoning board at a March 28 meeting. The company headquartered in Cranbury deals in medical marijuana and does not sell for recreational use. It had hoped to expand and open a third store on Memorial Avenue in Asbury Park.
But board members unanimously rejected the proposal even as members expressed support for marijuana use and the company itself.
An ordinance allowing Asbury Park to opt out of having marijuana businesses, such as dispensaries or cultivation centers, in city limits is making its way through the city's planning board review and is expected to return to the city council for a final vote on July 14.
But in a city where more than eight out of every 10 votes backed New Jersey marijuana legalization, city leaders made it clear their decision to opt out of the legal weed business was a short-term pause.
City officials described being blindsided by Breakwater Treatment and Wellness' Instagram post Monday night, which they said ran counter to what they've been telling every other business hoping to open a dispensary in Asbury Park.
The City Council has been approached by more than 70 businesses seeking their support for their plans to open dispensaries within the city, Moor said.