Winning NJ Cannabis permit Not Easy for Atlantic City Residents

Combining social equity efforts with legal cannabis in New Jersey; easier said than done.

Allegations are being made that only 25% of the NJ cannabis industry is adhering to social equity guidelines. NJ State not releasing data to public as of yet.

How does NJCRC (Cannabis Regulatory Commission) decide who gets conditional approval?

Three main reasons why business requests extension: lack of real estate, delay in municipal approvals and lack of funding.

Cannabis Commission Chair Dianna Houenou

Watch NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission meeting in Atlantic City on July 18, 2023.

Growing number of Black and Brown (POC) entrepreneurs facing roadblocks. Some fear this will only fuel illegal cannabis trade. Especially on the Boardwalk, often by underage teens well versed in NJ’s lenient enforcement of law.

CRC Public Comment: NJ Senator Ron Rice once warned that ‘rich white people from out of state will come in and take all the money’.

NJCRC Cannabis License Application Process

Businesses most likely to succeed have money to secure property along with local approval and then pay to hold property while they wait months to hear back from NJ bureaucracy.

Cannabis License Approvals

So far, NJCRC has approved 1,309 New Jersey cannabis license applications. Social Equity applications remains limited. “We only received 24 Social Equity annual licenses,” said NJCRC director Jeff Brown.

Definition of Social Equity: those with specific types of cannabis convictions or those who live in Economic Disadvantaged Areas (EDAs). Social Equity doesn’t mean minority.

HeadyNJ

From HeadyNJ: NJ-CRC APPROVES 91 NEW JERSEY ADULT USE CANNABIS LICENSES

The CRDA, Casino Reinvestment Development Authority currently in discussion regarding limits for new weed businesses in the city. During July 18 board meeting, CRDA President Mo Butler said city has agreed to temporarily slow the opening of new businesses, allowing existing proposed establishments to proceed first.

Butler says many cannabis business applications face challenges with financing and real estate, resulting in delayed openings. Mayor Small says the more the merrier. Wants the open market to determine the appropriate number of cannabis businesses.

Atlantic City Weed Wizard, Cannabis ‘Cash’ McKinley pushing for delivery services targeting Ventnor, Margate and Ocean City. He wants off-premise weed permits and mobile delivery. McKinley is known as AC Mayor Marty Small’s cannabis czar. In his spare time, McKinley is an Atlantic City School Board member.

So many hurdles for Atlantic City residents. Planning and zoning approvals. State approval process. Local gatekeepers. Municipal malfeasance. Cannabis chaos.