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Council approves local support for 420 Dispensary after presentation, 5–2
Summary
After a presentation by Attorney Tipton and applicant Hackett, Washington Borough Council adopted a resolution providing "local support" for 420 Dispensary, LLC to apply for a Class 5 retail cannabis license for 275 West Washington Ave. The measure passed 5–2 with Gorshkov and Musick recorded as no votes.
Mayor and council voted on Jan. 20 to adopt Resolution 2026‑24, providing the proof of "local support" required by the Cannabis Regulatory Commission for 420 Dispensary, LLC’s application for a Class 5 retailer license at 275 West Washington Avenue. The vote was 5 in favor, 2 opposed (Councilwoman Gorshkov and Deputy Mayor Musick).
Attorney Tipton presented the applicant’s materials and a handout; applicant Hackett answered council questions about owner experience, operational hours and community benefits. During the Q&A, Tipton said the applicant had "already went through that process of paying the thousand-dollar fee" and completed income-qualification steps required for conditional licensing. Council members pressed the applicants on re‑entry job plans and what would differentiate the proposed store from other approved dispensaries in town.
Councilwoman Gorshkov said the borough already has two approved dispensaries and suggested the applicants' efforts might be "better spent in another town," adding she did not want to see a business fail. Other members voiced support: Councilman Brown welcomed new businesses and Mayor Cox called the presentation "phenomenal," thanking the applicants and wishing them luck.
The resolution states the Borough’s Ordinance 2021‑07 (as amended by 2022‑02) permits cannabis retailers as conditional uses in the B‑1 zoning district and notes that site-plan approval by the Borough Land Use Board remains a separate requirement. The resolution will be part of the applicant’s file to the CRC; it does not substitute for required land-use approvals. The resolution text also cites state law and regulations (P.L. 2021, c.16 and N.J.A.C. 17:30‑5.1).
