NEWARK, NJ — Raekwon’s cannabis dispensary and lounge (Hashstoria) hit a brick wall on Monday, when the the Newark NJ Central Planning Board denied it’s application after church elders, clergy and parishioners at the nearby Old First Presbyterian Church (the oldest church in Newark) protested about the potential for increased traffic & people walking to their cars “stoned”.
The clergy went further to express their concerns about the negatives associated, with having a cannabis dispensary and lounge in the middle of downtown Newark.
To further the problem one of Newark’s Board members said Hashstoria’s artist rendering of women lips, rolling tongue, smoking a spliff was outright offensive. The applicant’s claimed the artwork was just for presentation purposes to demonstrate that local artist paintings would be on display, but the rebuttal was not well received.
A lawyer for the Hashstoria pushed back and warned the board, that their plan conformed to zoning and other city requirements and that if denied would certainly lead to an appeal they would win in court.
But board members were unmoved and voted to reject Hashstoria’s site plan application after expressing concerns about long lines, parking and stoners.
