Uforia has opened the second adult-use cannabis dispensary in Jersey City in the Heights in the north of the city.
Uforia owner Bashkim “Bash” Spahi is eager to open after it took so long to get to the finish line.
Inside, they have a fun wall with fake vines and a weed leaf that is good for taking pictures. Notably, they are next to a public parking lot and have some good street parking.
Bash explained the storefront needed to be updated. Also, they painted the building black to match their branding.
2nd Jersey City Cannabis Dispensary in the Heights Open
Now that they are open, he plans to provide great customer service. Uforia is offering a 10 percent discount for first-time customers. They are also launching a loyalty program to increase affordability.
“We want to provide good service, listen to the customer, see what he wants,” Bash said.
He explained he wanted to have a dispensary clerk known as a budtender eager to help people find the products they want working the store. It should be especially helpful for newer consumers.
“We’ll see what the community wants,” Bash said.
“Some people like the THC percentage. Some people like the terpenes more with flavor,” he noted.
“We want to be the spot to go to,” Bash added.
Quality Products and Brands Featured
Among the brands featured by Uforia were local cannabis growers and manufacturers like Hamilton Farms, Prolific Growhouse, and Lily Extracts.
They also feature products from the new Growfather brand launched by George Martorano, who served years in prison for marijuana after his activities with the Mafia in Philadelphia and South Jersey.
In addition Uforia also has some products from small cannabis corporations that are Multi-State Operators (MSOs) based elsewhere, like Loud Labs, Fernway, Illicit, and Buoyant Bob.
They also have a few large MSO brands.
Bash noted that they have topical creams for pain that are popular among seniors. Similar products can be found in the medical cannabis market as well.
Along with cannabis products, they have all the necessary paraphernalia, like pipes and torches for dabbing. For example, Uforia has pipes designed to be put in the fridge for a smoother smoke hit.
They were among the companies at a job fair held by Jersey City’s Diversity and Inclusion office in April 2024. He explained they did find a couple of good job applicants. However, the hiring process for a licensed dispensary involves a lot of red tape before someone can start.
Getting to the Finish Line
Uforia went through the lengthy process necessary to open a legal cannabis dispensary. Bash went before the Jersey City Cannabis Control Board (CCB) in 2022 and received approval at their second hearing.
The Planning Board approved them in November 2022 and got the resolution from the Jersey City Council, which is the local approval needed to open as well.
Uforia also received their NJCRC approval for a conditional license in October 2022. They waited until securing their annual license necessary to open from the NJCRC in July 2023 before beginning construction on the place.
There are many dispensaries in Jersey City already open with more coming.
Leaf Joint was the first to open in the Heights. More dispensaries are expected to open nearby, so the competition due to the close distance might be intense and cause some to go bankrupt.
Community-Minded Dispensary Owner
He has been very community-minded as a local resident originally from Albania. It’s a family business since he is also working with his brother and sister.
Bash noted he is a longtime consumer and said he grew up with it, which is why he wanted to open a dispensary.
Being community-minded, he has vouched for other dispensary owners at Jersey City Cannabis Control Board meetings and supported the opening of the Cannabis Place dispensary in the south of the city.
He had a lot of experience working for Moshe’s moving company in Jersey City near the Holland Tunnel as a senior executive for 13 years under the President. Bashed managed operations, sales, and customer service before he decided to open a dispensary.
Notably, Moishe’s moving company is located near where there was supposed to be the second location of the Secaucus-based Harmony dispensary before they fell apart due to many issues.
It’s his first business, which can be very difficult. Like many, Uforia has struggled with securing the money necessary to build the company, with Bash going deep into his savings to open it.
