Holistic Solutions opened as the first Black and woman-owned New Jersey medical cannabis dispensary Friday in Atco in Waterford in Camden County.
It is the 33rd medical cannabis dispensary to open in New Jersey since the program launched ten years ago. Their medical cannabis dispensary or Alternative Treatment Center (ATC) had its grand opening today.
Holistic Solutions Dispensary Details
The ATC has over 4,000 square feet of sales space, 11 Point of Sale (POS) stations for seamless purchasing, a private consultation room for discussions with medical professionals, and a drive-thru window. It will provide compassionate care, and education to patients enrolled in New Jersey’s Medicinal Cannabis Program (NJMCP).
An assortment of premium THC and CBD products will be available, including flower, pre-rolls, edibles, tinctures, vaporizers, concentrates, edibles, topicals, and accessories.
Women and Black Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) owned cannabis brands like Miss Grass will have ample space on-shelf. They also plan to feature products from the Black-woman-owned But-A-Cake in the near future.
Miss Grass is a company owned by a New Jerseyan launched elsewhere that is white labeling. It allowed them to get around the arduous licensing process and make money in the New Jersey cannabis industry. Cookies has a similar deal.
It is common in traditional industries.
Pickup and drive-thru convenience options will be available immediately upon opening. Delivery will be available in Spring 2023.
They could be the first medical cannabis to deliver.
Holistic Solutions celebrated its soft opening this week.
Black Woman Entrepreneur Success Story
Owner Suzan Nickelson won a medicinal cannabis dispensary license in the 2019/2021 medical cannabis round license lottery. Last year, Nickelson was touted as a Black dispensary license owner by noted cannabis advocate Leo Bridgewater when controversy erupted about the perceived lack of Black owners in the NJ medical canna industry.
Nickelson is a dedicated leader in the New Jersey cannabis scene who has been working to open Holistic Solutions for the past five years.
“I believe cannabis is a plant of reverence and spirituality that has been given to people to heal. Intentional stigmatization led to what we went through in the War on Drugs, that disproportionately hurt entire communities of Black and brown people. This is what fueled me to work relentlessly to open the doors of Holistic Solutions,” said Nickelson.
“The women in my family passed down generational knowledge of working with various herbs for healing and spirituality to me. I look forward to using that knowledge to run my own cannabis business. Others can understand just how powerful this plant can be.”
Nickelson has experience as a senior leader in numerous New Jersey state government departments. She was the first person to civilianize the Division of State Police office of employee relations.
She’s been personally affected by the harmful effects of cannabis prohibition.
In addition to operating her dispensary and raising three children as a single mother, Nickelson runs Ital Daughters LLC, a cannabis and hemp consulting company that specializes in assisting minorities, women, veterans, municipalities, and stakeholders in understanding the regulatory aspects of the cannabis industry.
A lot of license applicants thought they learned enough in the process to consult others.
Nickelson is a dedicated member of Jack and Jill of America. It is an organization of mothers dedicated to nurturing future African-American leaders.
Cannabis Industry Assistance
Holistic Solutions opened with the help of its minority partner Eastbound Collective. It was formed in April 2022 by Patrik Jonsson, formerly the Northeast Regional President for the large Multi-State Operator (MSO) Curealf.
Jonsson has mentored and collaborated with several minority-owned cannabis businesses in New Jersey, Maryland, and Massachusetts.
Eastbound Collective is a group of cannabis industry professionals who left their positions with MSOs to partner with minorities, veterans, and women-owned businesses. It was designed to create new opportunities for a larger group of people.
“There is a very limited number of operators with the funding, site control, and experience to capitalize on having a license. Our team does,” said PJ.
New Jersey’s Medical Cannabis Dispensaries
The following medical cannabis dispensaries are open in New Jersey:
- Holistic Solutions in Atco in Waterford.
- Aunt Mary’s dispensary in Flemington
- Bloc (an MSO), formerly Justice Grown in Franklin Twp.
- Bloc (an MSO), formerly Justice Grown in Ewing.
- Valley Wellness in Raritan Borough.
- Sweetspot (an MSO) in Voorhees.
- Breakwater in Roselle
- Breakwater in Cranbury.
- Harmony in Secaucus.
- Ascend Wellness (an MSO) in Fort Lee
- Ascend Wellness (an MSO) in Rochelle Park.
- Ascend Wellness (an MSO, formerly Greenleaf) in Montclair.
- Apothecarium (owned by TerrAscend, an MSO) in Lodi.
- Apothecarium (owned by TerrAscend, an MSO) in Maplewood.
- Apothecarium (owned by TerrAscend, an MSO.) in Phillipsburg.
- MPX NJ (owned by iAnthus, an MSO) in Atlantic City.
- Rise (owned by Green Thumb Industries, an MSO) in Bloomfield.
- Rise (owned by Green Thumb Industries) in Paramus.
- Rise (owned by Green Thumb Industries) in Paterson.
- Curaleaf (an MSO) in Bordentown Twp.
- Curaleaf (an MSO) in Bellmawr.
- Curaleaf (an MSO) in Edgewater Park.
- The Cannabist (owned by Columbia Care, an MSO) in Deptford.
- The Cannabist (owned by Columbia Care, an MSO) in Vineland.
- Zen Leaf (owned by Verano, an MSO) in Lawrence Twp.
- Zen Leaf (owned by Verano) in Elizabeth.
- Zen Leaf (owned by Verano) in Neptune Twp.
- The Botanist (owned by Acreage Holdings, an MSO) in Williamstown.
- The Botanist (owned by Acreage Holdings) in Egg Harbor.
- The Botanist (owned by Acreage Holdings) in Atlantic City.
- Ayr Wellness (an MSO, formerly Garden State Dispensary) in Woodbridge.
- Ayr Wellness (an MSO, formerly Garden State Dispensary) in Union Township.
- Ayr Wellness (an MSO, formerly Garden State Dispensary) in Eatontown.
