Weed Wars In Hoboken: Which Marijuana Dispensary Will Open First?

HOBOKEN, NJ — A Secaucus-based company called Harmony Dispensary expects to open a marijuana dispensary near the Hoboken train station by the end of the calendar year, but two other companies hope to come to that area as well — and now, one is suing the other.

Law 360 reported on Sept. 24 that Terrapin, a cannabis company that also wants to open a dispensary near the train station, is accusing Harmony of "bypassing New Jersey's vetting process" and wants Harmony's approval reconsidered.

Terrapin and Harmony's sites would be a block from each other. Terrapin, which first announced its intentions in a press release Sept. 2, hopes to open at 86 River St. This is a block from the proposed Harmony site at 93-95 Hudson St.

Under New Jersey's Compassionate Care Act, marijuana restrictions were revised last year, allowing greater access to "alternative medical treatment facilities."

Harmony Dispensary, which has a headquarters in Secaucus, N.J., applied for the retail-only Hoboken site in 2018 after new regulations allowed existing licensed alternative medical treatment facilities to open "satellite" locations.

The Hoboken Planning Board approved Harmony's proposal in August.

This satellite location will only offer prescription pickup and delivery. It will not allow use or cultivation on the premises.

One block away

Terrapin said in their Sept. 2 press release that they are a minority-owned business that has spent three years working on community support and partnerships to open a dispensary in Hoboken.

They have partnered with nearby non-profits like Women Rising, a Jersey City-based group that assists women and families in North Jersey with counseling, economic development, and advocacy, and Oasis, a Paterson-based haven for women and children.

“As always, Terrapin is focused on planting local roots,” said Chris Woods, the founder, owner and CEO of Terrapin.

Terrapin also has plans for a job fair with an emphasis on social equity. Terrapin will model the program after a similar event the company held in Michigan, where Terrapin provided resources to socio-disadvantaged communities looking for access to a new cannabis industry. Drawing upon their "experience with Color of Cannabis," Terrapin will place a focus on diversity as it establishes operations in Hoboken.

In Terrapin's seven-page lawsuit against Harmony, according to NJ.com, Terrapin complains that Harmony was able to slide by without facing new laws about dispensaries that were just approved in Hoboken over the summer. The city of Hoboken established a Medical Cannabis Review Board this year, but Harmony had already filed its application before that. The other companies will be subject to the new laws.

A third company, Nuka Properties, also wants to move to the train station area, according to a story last month in JerseyDigs.

The outlet reported that Nuka has "teamed up with a business called Ascend Wellness Holdings in hopes of bringing another medical cannabis store to 94 River St." which would be just three doors north of the Terrapin dispensary.

Nuka presented plans to the city's Historic Preservation Commission in August, JerseyDigs wrote, but haven't yet had a hearing before the Planning Board.

A Hoboken ordinance says that the city can only host three dispensaries at a time, the outlet reported.

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