Local Zoning Regulations

Hoboken for Responsible Cannabis, a non-profit founded to ensure the proper implementation and regulation of Hoboken’s cannabis industry, won a lawsuit in Hudson County Superior Court against the City of Hoboken Planning Board and Blue Violets. HRC successfully argued that the Planning Board did not have jurisdiction to review the application for the Blue Violets dispensary which violates Hoboken’s Commonsense Cannabis ordinances.

Members of a historic church in the city’s Chelsea neighborhood do not want a cannabis dispensary nearby, but one may be on the way just the same.

“They don’t want them anywhere near the casinos, but they don’t care where else they go,” said Tom Weer, pastor of Chelsea Baptist Church on Atlantic Avenue.

Applications to get into the promising new industry have been piling up since the state legalized marijuana for adults in 2021 and started taking applications later that year. Stores for recreational use have been slow to open, and the number of cannabis sellers in this region can be counted on two hands. Statewide, only 37 recreational cannabis dispensaries are operating, with another 13 selling medical marijuana only.

The Paterson City Council had a heated session before rejecting several proposed changes to local cannabis business rules on Tuesday.

Among the changes proposed was an increase from the currently allowable maximum of three retail cannabis outlets within the City of Paterson to six, reducing the distance between cannabis businesses from schools and places of worship from 300 feet to 200 feet, and the surcharge the city would collect on future cannabis sales.

Experts testified on behalf of Lushly LLC, doing business as Gaslight Dispensary, during last night’s Planning Board meeting. The applicant sought conditional use approval, minor site plan approval and C 2 parking variance relief. Lushly also requested approval for interior modifications.

The company’s attorney, Zachary Rosenberg from Bressler Amery & Ross stated, “They're proposing to operate a micro adult-use cannabis retail dispensary in an existing storefront and retail building located at 55 Academy Street.

Rutherford could soon allow retail cannabis establishments, but with certain restrictions. The proposal stipulates that no retail cannabis setups would be permitted within the Park Avenue, Union Avenue business districts, or any areas west of Route 17. Only adults aged 21 and above would be able to purchase cannabis products, and sales would be subject to state and local municipal tax. The borough stands to gain two percent of all class 5 license sales, if this goes through.

Earlier this year Flower & Flame dispensary was approved in Gloucester Township to open in a former TD Bank building on College Drive, which is across the street from the Autumn Ridge apartments and in close proximity to Camden County College.

It appears the approval was for an adult-use cannabis dispensary (not medical) and the public notice makes some mention of a potential delivery service also, although the Gloucester Township Zoning Board minutes make no mention of delivery.

The city, which is adjusting its law governing recreational cannabis businesses, does not want them located in residential buildings.

An amendment to Camden's cannabis ordinance had its first reading at last week's Council meeting and will get the second reading, public comment, and final vote at the August 8 meeting.

If all goes according to plan, the city will have its first cannabis cultivator within a year.

It's not a done deal yet, said Luxxe Green owner and CEO Viviana Lamm. She said whether the deal goes through will depend on a number of factors, such as obtaining local building and zoning approvals, plus the actual construction. She said it may take between three and 12 months to get up and running.

The plan calls for the repurposing of industrial space on Eighth Street to grow cannabis indoors. Luxxe is in the design and construction phase, Lamm said.

The SD-3 zone is located in the area between Mill Street and Route 206/94 around and adjacent to North Park Driven and South Park Drive.