Among the three is Monteverde NJ, planning to open at 45 North Bridge Avenue. (redbankgreen photo. Click to enlarge.)
See UPDATE below
By JOHN T. WARD
Red Bank’s new Cannabis Review Board has completed scrutiny of its first three applications, and was like totally cool with all of them.
That means three pot shops have cleared all the local licensing requirements, borough officials said Thursday night.
The prospective homes of Canopy Crossroad, on West Street, above, and the Frosted Nug, on North Bridge Avenue, below. (redbankgreen photos. Click to enlarge.)
Following the CRB’s recommendations, the council voted unanimously Thursday night to grant class 5 (retail) licenses to the three applicants, who had previously obtained planning board approvals. They are:
• Monteverde NJ at 45 North Bridge Avenue, a former dry cleaner’s shop
• The Frosted Nug, planning to open in the space formerly occupied by the China Moon Restaurant in the Crate’s Liquors strip mall, also on North Bridge
• Canopy Crossroad, which would abut Red Bank Liquors at 9 West Street.
According to police Chief Darren McConnell, who also serves as interim borough manager, the three have now satisfied all borough reviews under the law. Cannabis retailers also require licenses from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
Chris Weidlin, a consultant for the Frosted Nug, told redbankgreen Thursday that the company principals “hope to be on the CRC schedule for full state licensing before the end of 2023, and plan to be operational in early 2024.” Representatives of the other two could not immediately be reached for comment.
UPDATE: Caryn Cohen, a principal in Canopy Crossroad, said the business is “still in the process with the state. We are told to anticipate a few more months.”
The borough board, whose existence is optional under the state law that legalized recreational cannabis sales, was created by ordinance 2023-14 in April, and held its first meeting with one of the applicants in September, said Councilwoman Laura Jannone, a member.
In between, Red Bank held an election that saw five of six council members replaced, and a change in the form of government effective July 1.
Comprised of the borough police chief, the planning director, the director of code enforcement and one council member, the board is charged with reviewing specified qualifications of applicants. Among them: their plans for environmental sustainability; ties to the host community; and commitment to diversity in ownership and employment.
After interviewing the other two applicants later in September, all three appeared before the board October 4, said Jannone.
The meetings are not public, and the applications are confidential, she said.
Jannone, who was among those elected May 9, said she found the process useful and enlightening.
One applicant, she said, is planning to arrange harm-reduction sessions that put psychologists and other experts before groups concerned about addiction, “so they want to give back to the community in that way.”
As a career nursing instructor and substance-abuse coordinator, “that’s a big deal to me,” Jannone said.
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