Jersey Roots dispensary opens
WEST MILFORD. The first cannabis retail store in the center of town is expected to be joined by others soon.
| 24 Apr 2024 | 09:33
The Jersey Roots cannabis dispensary on Union Valley Road celebrates its grand opening with an outdoor party featuring vendors, a DJ, food and games Saturday, April 20. (Photo by Kathy Shwiff)
From left are Cheryl Sigretto, Rachel Lyons and Nicolle Lombardi at the official opening of the Jersey Roots cannabis dispensary. Lyons is the owner, and Sigretto and Lombardi are the managers. (Photo by Kathy Shwiff)
Jersey Roots owner Rachel Lyons and West Milford Mayor Michele Dale celebrate with Township Council members and others after cutting the ribbon Saturday, April 20. (Photo provided)
The Jersey Roots dispensary, which has been open for about two months, is the fourth in the township and first in the center of town. (Photo by Kathy Shwiff)
Jersey Roots celebrated its official opening with an outdoor party for the community Saturday, April 20 - a date that has become popular for cannabis-related celebrations.
It is the first retail store selling cannabis and related products in the center of West Milford.
Other retail dispensaries - SoulFlora and Mountain View Farmacy - have opened in Newfoundland, and Elevated Herb is on Route 23 in the southern part of the township.
More dispensaries are expected to open soon. They include Doobiez on Union Valley Road and another in a shopping center in Hewitt.
Statewide, about 130 retail dispensaries are open now, two years after recreational cannabis sales to adults began in New Jersey. Sales last year totaled $800 million.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission has received more than 2,500 applications for licenses and has issued more than 1,800 licenses. Five hundred annual licenses have been issued; those businesses require only a final inspection before they can open.
The Township Council has approved 10 retail cannabis licenses in West Milford, although council members have discussed reducing that number to five if some of the original 10 do not succeed.
Rachel Lyons, owner of Jersey Roots, said she delayed the official opening until the weather improved. The store has been open for about two months.
So far, business has been wonderful, she said. “We’re meeting a lot of people. We get new customers each and every day. We have a lot of return customers. So many West Milford residents that are coming back excited to talk to us, thanking us for our help.”
Lyons, who worked for 10 years as a licensed pharmacist before joining the cannabis industry, offers free one-on-one consultations. She reviews a potential customer’s medical history and their medications, then recommends products that may help them.
”I think that’s what really sets us apart. Even though I’m a recreational dispensary, I’m really still trying to target people who are seeking relief and helping those people. That’s our mission.”
Residents with medical cannabis cards receive a discount at Jersey Roots because they are not required to pay the state tax if they buy cannabis at a medical dispensary. The closest medical dispensary to West Milford is in Paterson.
Lyons said she is focused on educating people about cannabis and fighting the stigma still associated with cannabis.
She doesn’t see other licensed dispensaries as competition. “We’re all in this fight together to help reduce the stigma.”
There have been no supply issues, she said. New Jersey dispensaries can sell only cannabis that has been grown in the state.
”We’re actually seeing a lot of new cultivators and manufacturers coming online in the next couple months, so we’re going to see a lot of new products coming through.”
Jersey Roots recently launched a delivery service.