A New Jersey appeals court has ruled in favor of Blue Violets LLC, permitting its Hoboken marijuana dispensary to operate, despite a local ordinance that was passed after the company had submitted its application. The three-judge panel issued its opinion on Monday, overturning a lower court’s decision that had blocked the dispensary’s operation.
The appeals court determined that the Hoboken Planning Board and the Cannabis Review Board (CRB) had appropriately based their decision on the law in effect when Blue Violets submitted its conditional use application in February 2022, rather than the ordinance passed later in April 2022. This ordinance prohibited dispensaries from operating within 600 feet of a school, but the panel found that the dispensary’s application complied with the existing law at the time.
The conflict arose when Hoboken for Responsible Cannabis (HRC) sued Blue Violets in October 2022, arguing that the approval of the dispensary was improper because it had been based on the earlier law. The organization contended that the April ordinance should have applied, as it was enacted before Blue Violets’ dispensary began operations. Additionally, Hoboken resident Elizabeth Urtecho joined the lawsuit, presenting the same objections.
A New Jersey appeals panel ruled in favor of Blue Violets LLC, allowing a Hoboken marijuana dispensary to operate despite a new ordinance prohibiting dispensaries near schools. Read More
