Not since the mid-1970s, the dawn of legalized casino gaming, has Atlantic City seen an opportunity for the growth of a new industry. Kashawn McKinley, director of constituent services and special projects for Atlantic City, says the same city that attracts tourists with its casinos and headline concerts is working to become a cannabis hub for the region.
Around the state, many so-called legacy operators — people who sold weed on the black market — are having difficulty getting approval from municipalities, even after they’ve been given state approval.
Recreational marijuana sales in New Jersey are expected to start in a couple of weeks. The state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission on Monday approved seven medical marijuana dispensaries for adult-use sales. These locations will be the first sites to sell recreational cannabis to adults 21 years old and older.
Before these locations can begin selling, they still have to complete a few more steps, including inspections and paying fees. There isn’t a set date for when residents can buy marijuana yet, but once dispensaries finish their process, they can begin sales.
Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small welcomes what he calls “a new industry in the area.”
“If it’s gonna benefit the great city of Atlantic City, provide jobs, another revenue stream, I’m all for it,” Small said. “I think people have the wrong perception. I think people think that people just gonna be walking up and down the street anyway smoking. That’s not what’s gonna happen. We will have world-class dispensaries.”
Small is embracing recreational cannabis and hoping it will bring the area additional revenue through a sales tax.