New Jersey may see its first legal cannabis lounge in Atlantic City

Stoners in New Jersey and the neighboring towns may soon have a reason to rejoice. In the upcoming months, Atlantic City may welcome a new dispensary and consumption lounge for marijuana. High Rollers Dispensary and cannabis lounge, as reported by The Press of Atlantic City, has been given permission to move inside the former casino of the Claridge Hotel.

Although a precise opening date has not yet been established, the lounge may debut as soon as this summer. This would be the second dispensary and lounge slated to open this year.

The site proposal for a 10,000 square foot, two-story lounge dubbed “High Rollers Dispensary,” located between Park Place and Indiana Avenue close to the boardwalk, was authorized by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority during a hearing in February.

In contrast to conventional shops, customers will be able to buy marijuana and then stay and smoke it there, according to CBS News.

The area that was formerly an art gallery will be used for the dispensary division. Additionally, NJ.com notes that the remainder will be remodeled for the consumption lounge that contains a 3,700-square-foot space that was once used as a baccarat lounge.

The estimated cost of the upgrades, which includes creating a new entrance on Pacific Avenue, is $3.2 million.

“We feel it’s a good fit for the city as a whole to utilize cannabis for tourism,” Jon Cohn, an owner of High Rollers Dispensary, assured The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission of New Jersey has just voted to legalize marijuana use in the same establishments where it is sold. The Garden State is the eighth to take this step.

As The Claridge is not directly connected to the boardwalk, the lounge will not be in violation of the ban on recreational cannabis use in that area in Atlantic City.

Evie Blanco is a journalist with nearly a decade of experience who was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Queens, New York. She is extremely well-versed in hip-hop music and culture and is always aware of any developments within it. Whether it’s the latest in pop culture, a fascinating foreign destination, a truly amazing new restaurant, or breaking news, she loves to write about it all.

This story was originally published March 6, 2023 at 9:45 AM with the headline "New Jersey may see its first legal cannabis lounge in Atlantic City."