It’s taking longer than expected for N.J.’s 13th legal weed dispensary to open. Here’s why.

EDITOR’S NOTE: NJ Hashish Insider is internet hosting an in-person enterprise networking occasion July 14 at The Asbury in Asbury Park. Tickets are restricted.

Not like its opponents, the Curaleaf-owned medical marijuana dispensary in Edgewater Park didn’t open its doorways to prospects looking for to purchase grownup authorized weed through the state’s huge launch on April 21.

As an alternative, a police officer patrolled the Edgewater Park web site and turned away site visitors for many of the day. A big digital signal board flashed the phrases, “No leisure hashish bought right here,” whereas a number of officers alongside Route 130 turned away greater than 750 automobiles whose occupants weren’t there for medical hashish.

At first, it was anticipated to take a number of additional days for the dispensary to work out minor glitches with the township and develop into the state’s thirteenth authorized weed web site.

However it’s going to seemingly be weeks, perhaps even months, earlier than Curaleaf Edgewater Park will open as a result of it wants a a lot greater parking zone, based on the land use legal professional and engineer for Edgewater Park Township.

Legal professional Tom Coleman, who represents the Edgewater Park Land Use Board, mentioned though the medical dispensary had its municipal approvals memorialized on April 21 by the native board, Curaleaf nonetheless wanted “to good” its web site plans in accordance with the township’s conditional approval.

Coleman mentioned Curaleaf approached the township in 2020 relating to the positioning — a former 8,000 sq. foot fitness center that it transformed right into a medical dispensary at 4237 US-130 South, Edgewater Park in Burlington County.

“Two years in the past they agreed that in the event that they ever determined to promote leisure hashish, they might come again to the board and get web site plan approvals,” Coleman advised NJ Hashish Insider.

“They got here again with a beautiful web site plan in March (2022). In New Jersey, while you get approval from a land use board, it’s not memorialized till the next month. We did that on April 21, we memorialized their approval,” mentioned Coleman.

“They’re proper. They’ve an approval,” Coleman continued. “However now they must fulfill all of the circumstances: They must construct the parking zone; they must put lights in; they must construct the (drainage) basins.”

Curaleaf at present makes use of lower than a 3rd of the power, about 2,000 sq. toes, for medical hashish sufferers. To be able to use a few of the relaxation for grownup use gross sales, it must make these fixes, mentioned Coleman.

Curaleaf confirmed the delay to NJ Advance Media final week, although the corporate is extra optimistic on the timeframe to open than the township is.

“We have now been finalizing approvals to pave our parking zone with the city,” mentioned Stephanie Cunha, Curaleaf’s Regional Director of Public Relations, in an electronic mail. “The officers in Edgewater Park have been gracious companions and we anticipate having the ability to open our facility quickly.”

Curaleaf’s different location for grownup weed gross sales in Bellmawr opened on April 21, as did 11 different places belonging to 6 different medical dispensaries, often known as different remedy facilities.

Business observers say Curaleaf’s predicament in Edgewater Park underscores how municipalities have the ultimate say as to when a medical dispensary can open for leisure grownup use inside its borders, even when it meets all different standards, together with approvals from the state Hashish Regulatory Fee.

The CRC accredited Curaleaf to open its two satellite tv for pc shops and had listed Edgewater Park on the eve of the statewide launch on its web site as among the many 13 places inexperienced lighted to start grownup weed gross sales on April 21.

It wasn’t till Friday, April 22, that Cunha issued an announcement that Curaleaf was delaying grownup use gross sales in Edgewater Park.

The CRC, responding to NJ Advance Media, mentioned Curaleaf met all the necessities for state approval.

“Curaleaf, like all of the accredited dispensaries, submitted all of the paperwork required by statute and regulation to acquire a state license,” mentioned CRC spokeswoman Toni-Anne Blake in an electronic mail.

Blake mentioned in a separate electronic mail that after the state approves, the dispensary decides when to open a retailer. However native officers say they’ve their very own necessities.

Coleman mentioned Curaleaf has been “an excellent accomplice with Edgewater Park.”

“They’ve been above board with us,” he mentioned. “We’re making an attempt to work with them carefully to see if we are able to get them to open sooner, however that’s actually within the fingers of the engineers.”

“We need to see them open, we’re making an attempt our greatest to get them open. However they’ve acquired to point out us that they’re prepared to get these enhancements quickly,” added Coleman. “I can’t put 10 kilos right into a 5-pound bag and say they’re open and have 500 automobiles present up for a 50-car lot.”

Rakesh Darji, who’s each township and planning board engineer for Edgewater Park, is working carefully with Curaleaf’s engineer to get the power up and working for grownup use weed gross sales as quickly as potential.

For that to occur, Darji mentioned the present parking zone has so as to add 56 areas, going from 51 areas to 107; and add an infiltration basin, lighting and landscaping.

“The land use board approval needs to be perfected and documented, then they’ll be given the go forward to begin development,” Darji advised Hashish Insider.

“The situation for them to open up for grownup use is that they must have a parking zone constructed. We’re speaking weeks, not days,” mentioned Darji.

Edgewater Park was among the many municipalities that opted in final summer time to have grownup weed gross sales.

“Opting in means you’re prepared to allow it [adult use cannabis sales] in sure locations in your city, however they nonetheless have to fulfill the design and web site plan necessities of the assorted townships,” Darji mentioned.

Regardless of being down one location, the CRC reported final Wednesday that the state’s 12 collaborating dispensaries bought hashish and hashish merchandise to 12,438 leisure hashish prospects for a complete gross sale of almost $1.9 million on opening day. The panel mentioned the historic launch into the grownup leisure market that day went and not using a hitch.

Coleman, who’s been the land use legal professional for Edgewater Park since 1995, mentioned different ATCs ought to take observe.

“Simply because the voters of the state of New Jersey accredited the decriminalization and the sale of leisure marijuana, there was by no means any effort by the governor to usurp the city’s authority to make it possible for all the suitable zoning ordinances and rules had been happy,” mentioned Coleman. “That features web site plan necessities and zoning points earlier than opening.”

So far as Curaleaf opening for grownup gross sales on April 21: “They had been by no means going to open from our perspective,” mentioned Coleman.

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Suzette Parmley could also be reached at sparmley@njadvancemedia.com or observe her on Twitter: @SuzParmley