NEWARK, NJ — Conversations on cannabis disposal are not what one would typically expect at a meeting of the Newark Zoning Board of Adjustment.
But talks about marijuana, including its disposal, have become increasingly frequent at the land use board following New Jersey’s 2020 referendum legalizing adult cannabis use.
Such was the case as Andre Luke, principal of Smoking Classics Inc., secured board approval to convert a vacant car sales and auto body shop at 255-263 Elizabeth Ave. into a cannabis retailer. His was one of two cannabis-related applications authorized by the board on Thursday, Jan. 18.
“For cannabis waste, prior to destruction, we will document through written record the weight and quantity of each cannabis item and update the inventory record to reflect the destruction,” Luke said.
Within 10 days of the destruction, he told the board, the shop will notify the Cannabis Regulatory Commission of the destroyed marijuana and keep the disposal records for two years. Per the state rules, cannabis waste will be disposed of separately from regular refuse, he said.
Cannabis, like other consumable products, Luke said, has a shelf life.
“You can get mold on cannabis. Cannabis products can expire if they sit on a shelf too long, so you do want to sell it while (it’s) fresh,” he said.
How does one safely dispose of cannabis? If it’s the dried flower of the marijuana plant or edibles, the regulations call for the product to be ground down and mixed with sand or kitty litter, then placed into a hazmat bag, Luke said.
Cannabis oils, he said, must be sealed in a bag and quarantined in a designated room.
Luke’s application calls for conversion of the 8,721-square-foot building for retail cannabis sales. The application states that the approximate number of employees will be 15 persons per shift with two shifts, including security personnel.
The BudEase LLC
The board also approved an application by The BudEase LLC to convert an auto body shop at 1140, 1142 and 1144 Broad Street and at 17-35 Austin Street into a cannabis retailer.
Attorney Jennifer Carrillo-Perez, of the firm Connell Foley, represented both applicants. Carrillo-Perez said her client, The BudEase LLC, held a meeting with some surrounding neighbors and chose this location for the shop after considering another spot.
“This was the one that was preferable and deemed less impactful,” Carrillo-Perez said.
Newarker Nicole Cruz, chief operating officer of The BudEase, described the setup in the 5,992-square-foot shop as one that provides a space for customers to line up inside.
“You come in. You get your ID checked. You go in a queue,” Cruz said. “The queue will make sure that … the traffic doesn’t go onto the street. A lot of these stores in New Jersey, there will be an overflow of customers.”
Security guards will then guide customers into the store to the “budtenders,” she said.
Like Smoking Classics Inc., Cruz described security protocols. This, she said, will include key cards for employees.
Based on the approvals, Board Chairman Charles Auffant noted a possible trend.
“If tonight is any indication, it seems like auto body shops are falling prey to cannabis dispensaries,” Auffant said.
H/T: www.tapinto.net
