Passaic sees interest from cultivators

Mayor says city supports 2 weed business licenses

By: Matt Fagan
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... The legalization of marijuana in the Garden State - and the social and economic justice goals that underpin the new laws - has made the city of Passaic a prime candidate for cannabis investment.
..... Given the right applicants, Passaic said, it would back cultivation plans. Last year [2021] it adopted zoning permitting its growing and manufacturing east of Route 21.
..... Now, Mayor Hector Lora said, there are three businesses seeking cultivation licenses in the city.
..... One is a standard license and two are micro-business cultivators. The city support all three in their bids.
..... The standard applicants is Maria Canna Rosa LLC, which hopes to grow at 220 Passaic street, a large strip mall.
..... Luxxe Green, which is looking to establish a micro-business on Eighth street, and Garden State Born, on Fifth Street, are the other two.
..... "We had quite a number express interest," Lora said.
..... City officials viewed many would be applicants - especially those seeking retail sales licenses - with skepticism.
..... Historically, too many of the state's poorest and least-powerful residents have paid a disproportional price for the sale or possession of marijuana, and to Lora it seemed a slap in the face to those who had been incarcerated to see someone else profiting from a local dispenagreed that retail sales would be exploitative. "At the end of the day, it is not going to be our people benefiting from what could be a lucrative business endeavor," Love said.
..... However, once New Jersey's Cannabis Regulatory Commission came out with regulations and guidelines for cultivation, manufacturing and distribution for recreational use, discussions went form hypothetical to more practical.
..... The guidelines give priority to women-, veteran-and minority-owned businesses. They also prioritize applicants who have been arrested on marijuana infractions or live in municipalities with disproportionate rates of marijuana arrests of that are economically disadvantaged.
..... The three applicants in Passaic all have strong New Jersey ties and have shown they will be a boon to the city, Lora said.
..... Viviana Lamm, Luxxe Green's owner and president said it is the company;s intent to start with a micro-business and eventually expand to full-scale grower.
..... Micro-businesses are limited to 10 employees and 2,500 square feet, and if successful would be allowed to expand in accordance with consumer demand.
..... Luxx's principals meet all three preferences, in that Luxxe is owned by a women and has minority co-owners, one of whom is a veteran.
..... Lamm said for the past couple of years, Luxxe helped the city reach out to get residents vaccinated and contributed to the city's food distribution during the pandemic.
..... "We are very focused on giving back and other philanthropic efforts," Lamm said.
..... Se added that Luxxe has committed to sharing 2% of its profits in addition to the local taxes the city can impose on Luxxe sales.
..... Her partner Imtiaz Kahn said they plan to hire most of the workers from the city.
..... Lora said the city was impressed by Luxx's efforts.
..... More recently, Lora said Joe Smouha a Mynt Properties (its best-known property is the old Botany Mills site) has expressed an interest in a cannabis manufacturing site on the old ShopRite property on Eighth Street.
..... Smouha did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
..... All the application are awaiting state approval. If they win New Jersey's approval, the growers will need to work out detail with Passaic, including site plans.

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