Jersey City putting the brakes on new dispensaries

For a while, it seemed like there was a new dispensary or cannabis business opening on every corner in New Jersey.

And I guess that makes sense since the industry was just establishing itself. One of the happy centers of cannabis retail was Jersey City, now, however, things are changing.

If you’re planning to open a cannabis business in Jersey City, you might want to hit pause. The city just passed new rules that basically say they have enough for now.

SEE MORE: FBI warns of new insurance scam. Could NJ be next?

Google Maps / Townsquare Media illustration

They’re capping how many licenses they’ll hand out. And it’s not a lot. Just three each for cultivators, manufacturers, wholesalers, and distributors.

Only one delivery license per ward. And for dispensaries (the ones most of us see popping up), there’ll be a limit of 48 across the city. In Jersey City, that’s only 8 per ward. If you applied before the rules kicked in, you might be grandfathered in, but from now on, it’s going to be a whole lot harder to get in the game.

They also made some changes to the Cannabis Control Board, like more members, tighter attendance rules, and now everyone on the board has to live in Jersey City. (Which makes sense. Why would someone who doesn’t even live there get to help decide where a dispensary goes?)

Downtown Jersey City via Google Maps

The city’s also getting a little pickier about who gets a license. They want to know how it’ll impact the community, how diverse your business is, how safe the location is, and how close you are to a school, since you’ve got to be at least 200 feet away.

The bottom line is that the retail weed situation in Jersey City just got a whole lot more regulated. So, for those looking for licenses, it’s not impossible. But it’s not a free-for-all anymore. If you’re thinking about getting in, be ready to play by a much stricter set of rules.