New Jersey’s cannabis marketplace had several “firsts” this week with the approval of the first Black, female, disabled war veteran-owned dispensary; the approval of the first veteran-turned-rapper-turned-actor-owned dispensary; and the opening of the state’s first drive-thru dispensary.
The Jersey City Cannabis Control Board approved four adult-use cannabis dispensaries at its meeting July 25, including The Other Side Dispensary, owned by local wellness entrepreneur and New Jersey City University doctoral student Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez. Brevard-Rodriguez is a disabled war veteran and also a member of the LatinX and LGBTQ+ communities. TOS’D will not only be a dispensary but also a consumption lounge, located in one of the few municipalities in New Jersey that plans to allow their existence.
“Our plan is to expand our holistic wellness brand, SW3AT, to The Other Side, where alternative wellness is celebrated,” said Brevard-Rodriguez. “The consumption lounge part of our business model is critical to ensuring we embrace all forms of social equity and safety for vulnerable populations. It’s bifurcated for now, but we’ll get there. Let’s not allow that to overshadow this accomplishment. Tonight, we made history.”
Tracy Lauren Morrow, aka Ice T, and Charis Burrett celebrate the license approval of The Medicine Woman New Jersey. – THE MEDICINE WOMAN
That night, the JCCCB also approved a dispensary co-owned by Tracy Lauren Morrow, known professionally as Ice T. Morrow was born in Newark, spent much of his upbringing in Summit, and now lives in Edgewater with his wife, Coco Austin, and their daughter, Chanel. Morrow co-owns The Medicine Woman with Charis Burrett, which already has a location in California.
A half-hour north of Jersey City, New Jersey’s first drive-thru dispensary opened July 26. TerrAscend Corp. opened The Apothecarium Lodi, the company’s third retail location in New Jersey and 27th overall. The Apothecarium Lodi located at 200 Route 17, is 5,000 square feet and features a showroom and interactive “bud bar.” The drive-thru dispensary is just a stone’s throw away from the iconic Satin Dolls “Bada Bing” Club, which was featured on HBO’s popular series “The Sopranos.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 2 p.m. ET July 28 to include a photo of Ice T and Charis Burrett.
