Business Buzz
By Rich Baehrle
Cannabis was made legal by the voters of New Jersey in 2020, and quickly enacted by the state Legislature by early 2021. Since then, the industry has rapidly grown to over $1.3 billion in 2024.
It was then up to each city to determine if they were going to run with the “green ball.” Atlantic City not only approved the use of recreational cannabis, it fully embraced the new industry.
The debate over whether AC should lean toward being a family resort, or in the direction of a new “green adult” tourist zone began. Cannabis simply produces too much needed revenue to ignore.
Atlantic City was and is in desperate need to reinvent itself with the advent of fierce competition from surrounding states for gaming. The casino gambler customer base for the bricks and mortar business has substantially decreased, not only from competition, but also from online gaming and online sports betting.
Is cannabis the economic turnaround answer for Atlantic City? Time will tell, but in the meantime the city is fast-tracking Green Zone Redevelopment at a lightning pace.
The city currently has 14 distribution/retail businesses that are open or built out and opening imminently, with another potential 40-plus approvals on the way. Is there an end in sight?
It recently expanded the zone to encompass parts of the Chelsea area and beyond. The process of entry to open a cannabis business can be long, arduous and often extremely costly.
The city appointed a liaison, Kashawn “Kash” McKinley, to assist people with the process of establishing their businesses. However, the approval process can still be long when you combine licensing with the city, CRDA and the state. There is no doubt the Atlantic City cannabis industry is extremely competitive and getting more so with each added dispensary.
I had the pleasure of meeting Jon Cohn, CEO and founder of Agri-Kind, a 22,500-square-foot grow facility located on Baltic Avenue. This is a brand-new, state-of-the-art operation. After millions of dollars of investment, the first harvest shipment is expected to come within the next couple of weeks.
It is exciting for Mr. Cohn to see his and his investors’ dreams finally come to fruition. He explained the tedious and meticulous process of what it takes to produce premium cannabis flower and related products.
“There has been a tremendous amount of trial and error on the road to produce the finest cannabis product, but our previous experience helped us immensely,” Cohn said.
He entered the Atlantic City market with a vast amount of experience from his Pennsylvania grow and dispensary businesses. He and his investors built a successful, 67,000-square-foot grow business, along with several dispensary businesses in Pennsylvania. In a short time talking with him, I quickly realized the vast knowledge he possesses with the cannabis flowers and all of the various by-products.
He explained the grow process is referred to as a “perfect harvest.” Every eight-nine weeks, they will have new product on an ongoing basis. There are numerous variables that combine to make the “perfect bud” such as air quality, amount of lighting, keeping strands separate and humidity and temperature control. Consistency is the ultimate goal.
The supreme quality products will be distributed to his impressive retail distribution store, High Rollers Atlantic City Dispensary. It is located at The Claridge, street side at Indiana and Pacific avenues. In addition, they will be distributing to numerous cannabis retail outlets throughout the state.
High Rollers is not just your typical retail dispensary. When I entered the store, my immediate reaction was OMG.
All the products were professionally displayed, featuring an area where the customer can experience over 60 flower strains in a bud bar where customers can see and smell them in advance of purchase in an effort to choose what is best for them.
As I looked around I observed that the buying process could be overwhelming, but you don’t have to worry; there are team members who can help you. You have a confidential conversation and they will explain what each strand strain has to offer.
Cannabis is not just the flowers; the customers can choose from a wide variety of byproducts including vapes, CBD products, oils, edibles, and much more. There is a complete digital menu to leisurely scroll through to choose the products that are best for you. The Agri-Kind brand will be featured shortly.
You can also have the flower or products delivered to you, provided you have proper ID. The icing on the cake is the custom 3,300-square-foot cannabis lounge directly adjacent to the dispensary. It is a one-of-a-kind area where people can sit and relax while sampling their favorite cannabis flowers and products, once it’s approved by the NJ-Cannabis Regulatory Commission.
While the lounge has been ready to open for close to six months based on the original CRC timing guidance, they are now indicating that lounges are not a priority for the state, which ultimately reduces access and availability for tourists to be able to legally consume.
The bottom line is if you want a truly exceptional experience, go to High Rollers where you can determine what separates them from the competition. You will quickly realize that there is no competition when you combine the variety of the products along with their customer service.
Go online to www.highrollersdospensary.com www.highrollersdispensary.com or visit High Rollers Dispensary at The Claridge.
Rich Baehrle, of Berkshire Hathaway Fox and Roach, can be reached at 609-266-6680 or 609-641-0011. Email richardbaehrle@gmail.com or see www.getrichinrealestateSJ.com
