Phillipsburg is unlikely to see more cannabis businesses until a second retail space, proposed for near Union Square, meets new criteria.
The town receives quite a few inquiries from people interested in opening retail spaces “every month,” said Mayor Randy Piazza. Interest was piqued when New Jersey legalized marijuana sales in 2022.
The Apothecarium, a California-based cannabis company, was among the first licensed medical dispensaries permitted to offer recreational sales in the state. Its location on the border of Pennsylvania and New Jersey has proven beneficial for business, area residents believe. Customer wait times can be as long as an hour some days and the queue can extend down the street.
Pre-ordering online and taking advantage of medicinal discounts allow some customers to avoid long lines. However, the high traffic volume on one of the town’s busiest streets has only contributed to ongoing traffic congestion near the free bridge.
“It’s safe to say that there were certain criteria that we needed to allow for a second one,” Piazza said.
Broad Street Buds LLC was approved by the town to operate a Class 5 cannabis retail store on North Broad Street, in the area of Invertase Brewing Co. in February. Broad Street Buds is represented by Florio, Perucci, Steinhardt, Cappelli and Tipton.
Piazza said the criteria for the second location included sufficient parking, better traffic circulation, and distance from residential areas. The zoning board approved the project, finding it largely consistent with the town’s Master Plan.
The town’s ordinance prohibits all other cannabis businesses, except for the two approved locations.
“I would definitely listen if somebody else was interested in opening up a third cannabis retail space, like we do with all inquiries, but I would first like to see how a second performs in our town for a period of time before considering it.”
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Glenn Epps can be reached at gepps@lehighvalleylive.com or at glenn_epps_ on Instagram, Facebook and Threads.
Phillipsburg’s strategic location between Pennsylvania and New Jersey has made its first dispensary wildly successful, but traffic congestion has forced officials to be cautious about further expansion. Read More
