West Orange Cannabis Dispensary Eagerly Anticipates Opening Day

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Part of being a “community-driven business” means that you have to give back to the community. And that’s just what The Library is trying to do as the soon-to-open cannabis dispensary in West Orange sets its sights on a potential opening day in late 2023, its co-owners say.

Since launching the effort to bring their Black-owned dispensary to West Orange, its founders – Charles Penn and Corey Dishmen – have been making big strides. According to Dishmen, they recently secured a resolution for their new location from the town council, and their site plans have been approved by the planning board.

“We are waiting on the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission to approve our conversion application, which was submitted at the end of June,” Dishmen told Patch on Thursday. “As a result, we are anxious to open in Q4 of this year.”

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In the meanwhile, The Library continues to hold outreach events and social justice programs, the latest of which is scheduled for the Labor Day weekend.

According to Dishmen, The Library will be giving out free school supplies at 1 Washington Street in West Orange from noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2. On the following Thursday, they will be donating school supplies to students and staff at another elementary school in Essex County.

Dishmen and Penn will follow that up when they appear at two cannabis panel discussions from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. as part of the town's Health and Wellness event on Sunday, Sept. 10.

Previous outreach from The Library has included food giveaways for in-need families, and a paid “career readiness training program.” See Related: West Orange Marijuana Entrepreneurs Offer Tips For Job Seekers

Working alongside Tenisha Victor, Julie Winter and Khari Edwards of Ayr Wellness, The Library’s founders have also held free expungement clinics to help people with prior cannabis convictions clear their records.

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