Town Cannabis Opt In

Gloucester Township's first-ever cannabis dispensary looks to be opening to the public soon. Are residents ready for it?

It's awesome to see something taking over the old Friendly's restaurant so there's not just another vacant building on Blackwood-Clementon Road (technically Clementon), but I never thought it would be a pot store!

Daylite cannabis received approval for its annual retail license on June 1 from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission and its owner, Steve Cassidy, told 70and73.com in an interview that he expected to open by the end of June.

But the business' plans came to a screeching halt in June when Mount Laurel Township and its Police Department told Cassidy they did not approve of his security plan and that an armed security guard would be required.

At the time, there was no mention of the need for security guards in the Township cannabis ordinance.

Some recently announced Atlantic City cannabis projects:

Come the end of summer, Cape May County could see what may be its first legal cannabis dispensary open for business.

Shore House Canna LLC, located at 124 Sunset Blvd. in West Cape May, hopes to start legally selling cannabis by Labor Day — a move that would make it not only the county’s first legal dispensary, but among the first in any beach town in New Jersey, save for Atlantic City.

“We can smell the finish,” said Dave Christian, a principal with Shore House Canna.

City Council is expected to introduce a measure July 27 that would allow a cannabis retailer and a distributor to operate in Somers Point.

City Council President Janice Johnston said last week the agenda is not official but that she expects the ordinance to be on it Thursday evening.

The governing body has been discussing the idea for years, ever since voters approved a statewide referendum in November 2020 decriminalizing adult recreational use and creating a marketplace for sales and taxation. The vote was 2-1 in favor, both statewide and in the city.

Mike Davis, a reporter with the Asbury Park Press, explains how municipalities are benefiting and what the money is being spent on. “In Lawrence Township and Mercer County, their business administrator told me they’re basically able to pay for their trash collection next year just off of cannabis alone,” Davis said.

“A lot of people have actually said that,” said Thomas Marino, one of the co-owners of The Social Leaf, located at 334 Atlantic City Boulevard (Route 9). “We wanted it to look clean, sleek and modern. We didn’t want to look like a head shop. We wanted to stand out – clean lines, ambience, a fresh atmosphere. People have said it feels like a combination between an Apple Store and a lounge, and that’s exactly what I was going for.”

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.

Ayr Wellness Inc. is growing in more ways than one.

After undergoing an expansion, the Miami, Fla.-based multistate operator’s cannabis dispensary in Eatontown recently debuted a bigger and brighter retail space. Along with increased maximum occupancy, from 22 to 162 people, the store nearly tripled its point-of-sale stations to 23 systems.

The Main Street dispensary – which sells both medicinal and adult-use cannabis – stayed open during renovations since it took over an adjoining space as part of the project, a spokesperson said.

It seemed too good to be true.

Lawrence Township Manager Kevin Nerwinski didn't believe the numbers he was seeing. Verano Holdings wanted approval to open up their Zen Leaf medical marijuana dispensary in the town to recreational customers, selling legal weed to anyone over 21 years old. The company expected millions in revenue per month and, with a 2% transfer tax on every sale, a huge windfall for the township.

In the first year or two, Verano told Nerwinski that the township could see as much as $1 million in tax revenue.