After Hoboken's relatively new Cannabis Review Board approved a non-medical dispensary Thursday and considered applications of two others, some residents who were frustrated with the approval process have posted an online petition.
Also as a result of that debate, one of the other two applicants — Blue Violets Dispensary — posted a message to the community last week about its application to open on Washington Street (see more on that below). And Mayor Ravi Bhalla has now suggested limiting the number of dispensaries to six within the mile-square city.
Pennington Borough Council conducted a Special Meeting on the evening of Monday, February 28, to hear applications seeking Ccouncil support for a State of New Jersey retail cannabis license.
Three companies presented applications to the Council seeking a Resolution of Support. At a previous meeting, Pennington approved one retail cannabis location, without a consumption area, in the designated Highway Business Zone on Route 31. Before the meeting Monday night, applicants were required to submit a completed questionnaire to clarify critical issues for Council members.
“After a careful review of the ordinance, I believe that we should make the following amendments to our cannabis ordinances,” Bhalla said.
The mayors recommended changes are:
Capping the number of dispensaries (medical and recreational) to a maximum of six and a maximum of three in each of the citys six wards.
In December, council members adopted an ordinance that established regulations to be followed by individuals and/or entities that would seek approval for a cannabis business license.
In Tinton Falls’ form of government, the mayor does not vote on the adoption of ordinances or the passage of resolutions. Only the council members vote on those municipal government actions.
In comments made during the meeting, Perillo said potential cannabis businesses would place a burden on the borough and lead to negative repercussions.
The application that set all of this in motion is for a dispensary on 14th and Hudson Streets in the former location of Hudson Tavern. It’s at the base of a residential building owned by an LLC affiliated with Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop’s wife Jaclyn. And it sits in the second ward, led by Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher.
She didn’t realize legislation she had approved last year would allow dispensaries in part of her ward, and she admitted she regrets not paying closer attention at the time.
The South Orange Village Board of Trustees passed an ordinance allowing for the retail sale of cannabis in the village at its Feb. 28 meeting tonight.
The ordinance passed by a 5-1 vote with trustee Karen Hilton being the only trustee to vote no. On the ordinance Hilton said, “I don’t think it’s what we need,” adding “I feel uncomfortable going against everybody, but I had to follow my heart.”
More than 100 Hoboken residents took part in the virtual hearing. Many who live above or near space – which was a restaurant and bar at one point – says that a recreational marijuana dispensary does not belong in such a residential area. But it leaves many others to ask where else could a dispensary be located in a city so densely populated?
“Hoboken is more complicated. Every block – the commercial and industrial – they all have residential in them,” says Councilwoman Tiffany Fischer. “I think that tension is what we are bumping into right now.”
Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla is proposing changes to the city’s cannabis dispensary rules, in light of the local cannabis review board approving its first retail cannabis application despite criticism from the public.
Hoboken’s Cannabis Review Board signed off on the city’s first-ever proposed retail cannabis business, which hopes to open in the 14th Street space previously occupied by Hudson Tavern restaurant.
During a virtual meeting Thursday night, the 3-person board OK-ed an application filed by Story Dispensary of Hoboken, LLC, which allows the proposal to proceed to the next step in the process — Planning Board approval.
The town council spoke about making changes to the existing cannabis ordinance. Liaison to the Cannabis Task Force Councilwoman Cindy Matute-Brown reminded the council that decisions need to be made soon because cannabis license applications submissions begin on March 15.
Council President Susan McCartney remarked that she wanted the ordinance to be updated as soon as possible, so potential cannabis business owners will have all the information they need to submit their applications.