Posted in Cannabis Buisness

Long Branch Will Give Out 6 Recreational Marijuana Biz Licenses

 Posted by  Posted on December 9, 2021

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LONG BRANCH, NJ — At their Wednesday night meeting, the Long Branch City Council approved a proposal to give out six types of recreational pot licenses to open in the city.

Businesses can start applying for the licenses this December; those interested must apply for a license through the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

Few other New Jersey towns plan to give out as many marijuana licenses as Long Branch will, setting the city up to be a hub for taxable marijuana business in the Garden State.

Wednesday night’s approval was first reported by the Asbury Park Press, but Patch previously reported that Long Branch was considering becoming a major hub for New Jersey’s newly-legal marijuana industry:

Long Branch will give out one each of these six licenses:

  • Class 1: Licensed cannabis cultivator or grower
  • Class 2: Licensed cannabis manufacturer
  • Class 3: Licensed cannabis wholesaler, or a business that only sells marijuana to other businesses and not directly to consumers
  • Class 4: Licensed cannabis distributor
  • Class 5: Licensed retailer without a cannabis consumption area. That means a store that can sell marijuana, but customers will not be able to consume the pot on premises.
  • Class 6: Licensed cannabis delivery service, meaning businesses that provide courier services to deliver cannabis door to door for customers. Think of it like Amazon for weed.

The city also plans to allow a retail pot shop to open near the Long Branch train station. It does not appear that pot shop will allow on-site marijuana consumption, as it would be granted a Class 5 license. So it will not be a marijuana cafe, as other outlets have incorrectly reported.

You can read Long Branch’s marijuana business ordinance, which the City Council approved Wednesday night, here: https://evocloud-prod3-public….

In November 2020, more than 70 percent of New Jersey voters said they approve marijuana being legalized. Then in early 2021, the state said towns have until Aug. 22 to pass local laws banning pot shops, if they so choose. Towns like Middletown and Toms River both banned pot shops from opening within town limits.

By contrast, the city of Long Branch welcomes the industry.

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Author: CSN