A lawsuit filed last week in Passaic County Superior Court accuses West Milford officials of tipping the scales in the state's highly competitive cannabis retail licensing process.
West Milford officials are blocking the owner of Big Smoke, a Route 23 smoke shop, from pursuing a New Jersey cannabis retailer license in favor of another applicant, also named in the suit, seeking to sell marijuana in the same commercial complex, the lawsuit stated.
The complainant, Janira Diaz, majority owner of Big Smoke, alleges township officials have denied adopting a resolution supporting her efforts as required by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission despite granting her a zoning permit for retail cannabis sales in December 2021.
"Big Smoke relied on its zoning permit from the township, and spent thousands of dollars, only to have the rug ripped from beneath its feet nearly a year after its zoning permit was issued," the lawsuit stated.
