The race to open Jersey City first cannabis dispensary and consumption lounge just got a bit more interesting as local approvals have been fully obtained for yet another pot-related business.
Jersey Digs broke the news about the planned The Other Side dispensary and lounge last summer. An application was submitted to transform a vacant property at 36 Congress Street, an address that is locally famous for the retro “lowe-t prices” ghost sign that adorns the side of the building.
Situated just two blocks from the Congress/9th Street Light Rail station, that ghost sign is slated to be replaced with a modern exterior as part of a sleek renovation. The overhaul of the property is designed by Lawrenceville-based architect Alfredo R. Trevino and will convert one retail space over two floors into the cannabis dispensary and lounge, which would total 3,047 square feet.
The Other Side is being spearheaded by owner Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez, who claims to be the first Black, Latinx, LGBTQ, female disabled veteran to be awarded a cannabis license in New Jersey.
The business received approval from Jersey City’s Cannabis Review Board in July and the planning board unanimously approved The Other Side’s application during their April 4 meeting.
While an opening timeline for The Other Side hasn’t been announced, the company has launched a website and can be followed on Instagram at the handle @tosd_lounge.
The sheer amount of cannabis businesses in Jersey City makes it hard to keep tabs on all of them, but there are a few other notable consumption lounges that also have full approval at the local level.
Cream Dispensary near the Newark Avenue Pedestrian Plaza has been approved by the city’s Cannabis Review and Planning Boards as well, while McGinley Square’s Medusa facility has the full green light despite the approvals being challenged in court.
