By Lurie Silverman
Correspondent
WEST ORANGE — The township gave a nod of approval earlier this month to two cannabis entities, Yerrr Canna for the manufacturing of marijuana and Blue Violet Grow for the cultivation and manufacturing of marijuana.
This brings the number of town approved marijuana businesses up to six, though only one has so far been opened.
On Dec. 10, the Township Council issued two more resolutions, one in support of Yerrr Canna – its second actually – granting approval for the company to add manufacturing to its existing license for the cultivation of cannabis. Cultivation means growing the plant while manufacturing refers to the creation of marijuana products such as edibles.
At the same meeting, support was given to Blue Violet Grow, seeking to open a cultivation and manufacturing business in West Orange. Yerrr originally received support from the town for the cultivation of cannabis in late November.
At present, only one dispensary is open, Pure Natural Vibes, operating since Aug. 31, at 270 Prospect Ave., suite 100.
Both Yerrr and Blue Violet must now obtain licenses from the State of New Jersey before coming back to the township for approval of a local license, said Township of West Orange Information Officer Joe Fagan.
The first step each time for entities wishing to open in any New Jersey municipality is to obtain support from its individual township. After that, interested parties must apply for and receive approval for license(s) from the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission, the body which oversees all requests to engage in the dispensing, growing, harvesting and/or manufacturing of cannabis products.
Of the five locations that have received support from the town in the form of a resolution, four will sell cannabis while the other two are seeking approval to cultivate and manufacture.
These locations, currently supported by the township to open, but with no dates set, are:
West Orange Wellness LLC, 26 South Valley Road; The Library of NJ LLC, 1-3 Washington St.; Dogwood Green, LLC, 5 Central Ave. and Yerrr Canna, 82 Ashland Ave. and now Blue Violet Grow.
“These are new unchartered waters for all municipalities, and it is our understanding that we are on par with most jurisdictions which opted in. Some towns are further ahead while others are not,” Fagan said.
The laws and regulations surrounding the retail sales of cannabis are complex and the challenges abound for municipalities and the state alike.
Local municipalities can have their own rules on zoning and taxes, with help from the NJ state cannabis regulatory commission, which guides municipalities on understanding the complex laws and regulations that accompany the highly regulated cannabis market.
The recreational cannabis market saw a substantial 38 percent growth in adult-use sales between Q1 of 2021 and Q 1 of 2024, with experts predicting that the market could surpass $1 billion by the end of this year. Sales for the first quarter of 2024 topped $201 million, according to information released by the NJCRC.
