Despite the statewide legalization of cannabis, East Orange residents are still traveling to neighboring towns for their pot products. But that’s about to change soon with four new cannabis dispensaries within the city’s borders on their way.
The latest plan to get city approvals is Nimbus Dispensary, which owner Sukhjit Mangat is hoping to open at 50 North Park Street. The other proposed retail locations are Flower Garden at 381 Main Street, HZY Goods at 19 Prospect Street, a yet unnamed shop at 580 Central Avenue.
The cannabis industry is still new terrain for municipal governments, including East Orange. The first dispensary approved in the city was at Flower Garden at 381 Main Street in 2023.
Those hoping to break into East Orange’s cannabis market – including Robert Puleo, who plans to open HZY Goods at 19 Prospect Street – have spoken about the long road to getting the necessary approvals.
“We’ve been working on this for a couple years now,” said Puleo, noting that these proposals need state license and local approval from both the local cannabis board and City Council.
City Councilman Christopher Awe said that drafting a thorough ordinance regulating these types of businesses was part of the reason for the delay, but he admitted City Hall could do more to help. “A lot of people have been asking questions about why they haven’t been open yet,” Awe said at the Planning Board in January. “But we do understand that there may be aspects of the process where we could streamline for some of the business so they can get going.”
There have been a number of concerns from city officials. One issue is the lack of parking at the proposed dispensaries – local zoning laws don’t require them to have on-site parking.
Puleo, who got Planning Board approval this past November, said he’s relying on online orders and his proximity to major developments, such as the 800-unit The Crossing near Brick Church, for the majority of his businesses.
“We’ll be able to get those customers in and out,” Puleo said. “We’ll also be doing deliveries at a later time.”
City officials have expressed concern about whether these facilities would attract crime and whether dispensaries would have adequate security. In the case of HZY Goods, Eladio Negron, director of code enforcement, wondered if dispensaries might be targeted for their waste when disposing of unused or expired products.
However, Puleo said cannabis waste is returned to the wholesalers. “They get monitored by the state as they dispose of the product,” he said. “And they have to document every single thing and report it.”
Puleo said in addition to security cameras with license plate recognition, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission requires one armed guard on premises at all times.
Mangat, who is opening Nimbus dispensary with his brother and sister, said he plans to preserve the retro-style design of the building at 50 North Park Street that used to house a dry-cleaning business.
“We actually liked how this building looked – it’s a very unique building,” Mangat said.
Another cannabis dispensary is notable because of its location inside a well-known Art Deco commercial building at 580 Central Avenue that once housed a national department store chain, S. H Kress.
Amir Hashemi, the longtime owner of Capricorn, which closed during the pandemic, is hoping to transition his business into a dispensary after securing approval from the Planning Board last January.
The architect for the project – Joaquin Bouzas, principal for Inglese Architecture & Engineering – said the landmark’s “incredibly beautiful” facade would remain unchanged.
