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Blue Violets dispensary of Hoboken in North Jersey won the appeal of the court case on their distance from a school, allowing them to remain open.
The appellate court overturned the initial decision they lost.
Owners Max and Lauren Thompson argued that at the time their application was submitted to the Cannabis Review Board, it was lawful for them to apply for local dispensary approval in 2022.
When Blue Violets first applied for a license to operate an adult-use cannabis dispensary in Hoboken, dispensaries had to be 200 feet from a school. The ordinance passed in the middle of the process increased the distance to 600 feet, which made it unlawful for them to be there.
The law was changed before Blue Violets could submit their application to the Planning Board since they needed Cannabis Review Board approval first, according to Hoboken’s law.
“It sets a lot of precedent for cannabis and land use in general,” Blue Violets attorney Jonathan Goodelman argued.
He said any government agency must respect the “time of application,” Goodelman argued the ruling could impact businesses in other industries seeking local approval.
“We would be “grandfathered in,” quote un-quote, if they tried to change the law. We’re already approved,” he explained. “It would affect new people.”
Goodelman noted the Planning Board agreed with them and approved them, as did the City Council.
So, the Judge ruled the City Council acted too rashly.
“It feels incredibly relieving. We are a lot less stressed as a result. We’ve been running the business since April. That we have a future here feels really good,” Max declared.
“We feel a million pounds lighter, at minimum,” he joked.
“This feels like justice to us. We did everything Hoboken told us to do in the exact order they told us to do it,” Max explained.
He noted the great uncertainty they have been operating was very difficult throughout the entire three-year period.
“It was a whole question mark about our future,” Max said.
He noted their efforts to change the ordinance were not successful in the face of political opposition on the City Council.
After losing initially, they appealed to the appellate court and asked for a Stay to stop it from going into effect. The court approved it.
“The Zoning Office didn’t want to give us a CO (Certificate of Occupancy to open). I had to go to the city attorney,” Goodelman explained.
However, it was very difficult to operate, knowing that their shop could close one day because of a judge’s opinion. So, they opened with limited products and hours. As time increased, it has improved. Max noted they have been operating regular hours since the end of summer 2024.
“It feels like we have a future now,” he declared.
Max was grateful for the support of the pro-cannabis Hoboken community.
While the anti-marijuana group fought them, the Thompsons have worked to build support in the Hoboken community.
“The community really had our back here. It definitely helped us continue pushing. I think it made a big difference,” he said.
While some city council members were against them, others supported Blue Violets throughout the process.
Looking to the future, Max said they want to start delivery by the end of the month and hold more community events elsewhere in town.
“It’s an exciting industry. We’ll see what 2025 brings. It’s starting off right for sure,” he said.
It’s unlike that the fight will go on longer or be successful for the anti-marijuana opposition.
Goodelman noted it would be an expensive effort and unlikely for them to do so.
“It’s not impossible,” he noted.
Max noted the NJ Supreme Court takes few cases in general. He also argued that courts generally defer to Planning Boards and their decisions.
Blue Violets is a *micro dispensary owned by the Weehawken-based couple. Max is a lawyer, and Lauren is a nurse. They told Hudson County View they poured most of their savings into Blue Violets.
The Thompsons have said operating with the possibility of being shut down made staffing and selecting quality products to feature in their dispensary very difficult.
The anti-marijuana group Hoboken for Responsible Cannabis, led by former city council candidate Liz Urtecho, spearheaded the effort against them.
Former 5th Ward Council candidate Liz Urtecho has been fighting this for two years. LU formed Citizens for Responsible Cannabis and sued to stop them from opening and operating.
Utrecho did not respond to outreach for comment.
“I’m hopeful she’s ready to put this behind her and stop wasting money and let us continue operating our business safely and soundly,” Max said.
He noted their location is not problematic to nearby schoolchildren and their 9 months of operations justifies that.
“Those concerns were unfounded,” Max said.
Blue Violets applied to the Planning Board based on the initial law passed by Hoboken in 2021.
However, in the middle of the fight, the Multi-State Operator (MSO) Story barged into a location and upset the locals. Residents feared traffic in the already bustling and very dense city of Hoboken.
Local politicians seized on the anti-marijuana sentiment and pressed for a more restrictive ordinance than the one that passed unanimously in August 2021, which then caused problems for Blue Violets.
After about nine months of meetings, Story won approval to open in Hoboken. However, while the Station, the Village of Hoboken, and Blue Violets are open, Story is not.
“}]] Blue Violets dispensary of Hoboken won the appeal of the court case on their distance from a school, allowing them to remain open. Read More
