Atlantic City’s First Legal Pot Shop Approved

From pawn to pot. Atlantic City's first recreational marijuana retail business has been approved at a former pawnshop on Pacific Avenue, across from Boardwalk Hall.

The CRDA unanimously approved the application from Sonraj LLC to open a legal pot shop called "The Healing Side" at 2415 Pacific Avenue.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sonraj LLC is run by Nisha Shah, a podiatrist at AtlantiCare, Chintan Shah, the owner of Atlantic City's Trenton Pharmacy and Cady Riley Wiegand, the former manager of the Botanist in Atlantic City.

No expected opening date has been given yet for The Healing Side. The company will limit the sales to 1000 pounds of recreational pot per year and no consumption will be allowed in the store.

The legal sale of recreational cannabis will begin at 10 am Thursday at seven statewide locations currently operating as medical dispensaries, including The Botanist at 100 Century Drive in EHT.

There is expected to be a large turnout at the sites on Thursday, according to Jeff Brown, executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

"We expect the 13 locations for the entire state will make for extremely busy stores. The dispensaries have assured us that they are ready to meet the demand without disrupting patient access, and with minimal impact on the surrounding communities, but patience will be key to a good opening day."