Pot Or Not? More Cannabis Dispensary Applications To Be Heard in Hoboken

HOBOKEN, NJ — Discussion has heated up related to the various aspects of the city's evolving laws on cannabis dispensaries, particularly after the City Council voted on April 6 to limit the number of dispensaries to six and to add certain other restrictions.

At least one dispensary has asked if businesses that have already applied to the city are grandfathered into the old regulations before the recent changes.

So far, two medical dispensaries already have been approved to open in the mile-square city. Four non-medical facilities want to open.

Last week, four of the city's council people have asked one of the four non-medical dispensaries to withdraw its application.

The council members have called upon Story Dispensary, a non-medical facility hoping to open at 14th and Hudson streets, to withdraw.

They said that the neighborhood is one of the most densely populated in the city. As of Monday, more than 1,000 residents had signed a petition against having a dispensary at that location.

Councilman Ruben Ramos said last week, “We rebranded certain densely populated, residential areas in 2019 as C-3 Neighborhood Commercial to make it easier for and attract businesses that were not previously permitted, like the top-rated restaurant and fish market Tutta Pesce. They ended up leaving Hoboken because the zoning was too costly and difficult. Cannabis dispensaries were not the kind of business we intended in C-3 and our laws should never have been expanded to include these residential areas."

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher said, "My neighbors moved to this residential area because it was family friendly, quiet, and close to the Hudson River waterfront walkway. They did not move to a tourist destination and party zone, which is feared what will happen if the Hudson Tavern dispensary moves forward."

Grandfathered In?

Meanwhile, one of the four prospective non-medical cannabis companies, Blue Violets, comes before the Cannabis Review Board on Thursday, hoping to open at its existing storefront on central Washington Street.

Co-owner Max Thompson said it's unclear whether current applicants must comply with laws that were changed at the last council meeting.

"Unfortunately there does seem to be some disagreement among the council members as to what happens to the current applicants," Thompson said. "At the last meeting Councilman Quintero had stated that the current applicants, including Story in the Hudson Tavern location, would be grandfathered from the ordinance changes, and we’ve also heard this from other council members and other city officials ... but we’ve not received a truly 'official' confirmation one way or the other, which is frustrating."

"Our issue with the amendments is the distance to schools," he said. "The original ordinance said a dispensary could not be on the same 'block' (corner to corner) as a school, which we are not. But the amendments said you cannot be within 600 feet, while we are about 300."

He said he spoke with directors for the local schools and they hadn't heard any complaints.

The agenda for the Thursday meaning lists Blue Violets at 628 Washington St. and NUG Hoboken LLC at 128 Washington St.

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In New Jersey, recreational marijuana sales are set to start this week.

See past coverage here.

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