Cannabis Dispensary Applicant And Hoboken Officials Respond To Concerns

HOBOKEN, NJ — After Hoboken's relatively new Cannabis Review Board approved a non-medical dispensary a week ago Thursday and considered applications from 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 two other applicants — Blue Violets Dispensary — posted a message to the community last week about their hope of opening 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.

The City Council will discuss some changes to dispensary rules at its meeting Wednesday, March 9.

The residents' online petition, which had received nearly 500 signatures as of Monday morning, reads, "During the nearly five hour hearing, numerous individuals from the neighborhood immediately surrounding 14th Street and Hudson spoke out against [the application that was approved]. Shockingly, the CRB voted to approve the application prior to receiving comments from the community."

All three of the current applicants hope to open at present and former restaurant sites in the mile-square city. They are seeking retail cannabis licenses rather than medical. READ MORE: Three Cannabis Dispensaries May Open At Restaurant Sites In Hoboken

This is in addition to three medical marijuana dispensaries that had already applied separately to open in Hoboken, two of which have been approved.

The Applicants And Updates This Week

According to the agenda for the meeting a week ago Thursday, the three new applicants want to open at 51-53 Fourteenth St., 128 Washington St., and 516 Washington St.

The site at 51-53 Fourteenth St., the former Hudson Tavern restaurant at the northeast corner of town, is the one that was approved a week ago Thursday and has stirred the most controversy.

Sources have said that neighbors were under the impression that the business replacing the tavern might be similar to a physical therapy practice that opened across the street, rather than a dispensary. READ MORE: Former TD Bank Site Gets New Tenant: JC Mayor's Wife's Business

Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher, whose newsletter first brought the dispensary applications to the attention of many Hoboken residents who were unaware of them, represents that part of town. She shared more updates this week.

In her new newsletter on Monday, Fisher noted that the 14th Street dispensary "is in the middle of the most densely populated residential area in Hoboken. Within 500’ of the front door are of the Hudson Tavern are 3,000 homes – almost 10 percent of Hoboken’s housing stock and population."

She also noted that dispensaries getting approval from the CRB will still need other approvals.

Last week, in response to concerns, Mayor Ravi Bhalla clarified that while the applicants could sell cannabis, the state has not yet approved "lounges," or dispensaries that allow people to smoke on the premises.

Bhalla also suggested that:

• The city cap the number of dispensaries (medical and recreational) in Hoboken to six, and not more than three in any one ward.
• Applicants should notify neighbors with 200 feet (which currently they are not required to).
• Dispensaries should not be within 750 feet of schools.

Some of these proposals may come up for introduction at Wednesday's City Council meeting, viewable on Facebook here.

One applicant took to Reddit last week to post a lengthy letter about their road to entrepreneurship.

Blue Violets Dispensary

The applicant said that he is a lawyer, his partner is a nurse, and together they are hoping to open their dispensary at 628 Washington St.

"My name is Max and I'm here with my better half Lauren," he wrote. "We are the Co-Founders and (hopeful) Managers of Blue Violets, a micro cannabis dispensary applying for 628 Washington St. Here's a little bit about us and our vision. We're doing things a little bit differently and in more ways than one, and we'd love to have your support!"

He noted, "Not only are we a minority and woman owned business but we are also truly local — Lauren and I live in Weehawken ... We have NO outside investors and NO outside operators - Lauren and I not only started this business but we'll be in the store running it every
day. Not only that, our terpenes-focused, data-driven approach to cannabis is something we believe in wholeheartedly ... we're really hoping to take cannabis stigma head-on."

Want to reach out to Hoboken Patch to this issue, or do you have another business tip for Hoboken or Jersey City Patch? Email Patch here. See more local business and restaurant news below:

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