Ice T is licensed to bring a pharmacy for medicine women to Jersey City

The rapper and actor will be working with a longtime friend to open the new cannabis retail store a few miles from New York City.

Ice T’s cool demeanor made him a pioneer of gangsta rap and a star TV cop. Now the New Jersey native’s outspoken delivery has helped secure a license to open a cannabis dispensary in one of New Jersey’s most competitive markets.

Ice-T and its partner Charis Burrett have been given the go-ahead to move ahead with plans to open a 5,000-square-foot Medicine Woman cannabis dispensary in Jersey City, just a few miles from downtown New York City. Burrett is a former Playboy model who also owns The Medicine Woman pharmacy in Bellflower, California. Ice-T said he and Burrett have been friends for over 25 years.

Her application for a conditional retail license was one of four approved by the Jersey City Cannabis Board on Monday. The other four dispensaries coming to Jersey City are Medusa NJ, Oceanfront Holdings and The Other Side Dispensary. The City Planning Council and state regulators must also give their approval before the new market can open its doors.

Stay close to home

Ice-T, born Tracy Lauren Marrow, owns property near Edgewater, NJ. He told the board he chose Jersey City because “there’s only one street there in Edgewater,” which he said would hurt business. “I said, ‘Let’s go to Jersey City, my neighbor,'” Ice-T recalls. “I’m here every night and going out, I love Jersey City.”

Born in Newark and raised in Summit, he rose to fame as a West Coast rapper. Ice eventually returned east to film episodes of Law & Order. Now he plans to use his pot platform to pave the way for minorities into the fast-growing industry.

“I have dedicated my life and career to giving back and paving the way for minorities… As a native of New Jersey, I am excited by the opportunities that legalization offers to our community and I look forward to ushering in a new era for… To usher in the state of cannabis… “I’m Black, I’m a veteran, my whole career has been about helping people. Nobody starts a business with social impact in mind… But it’s lucrative enough that you should help the community.

Ice-T, press release

Jersey City resident Lorenzo Richardson, who is a member of the Board of Education, was pleased with the location they chose for the dispensary.

“I’ve lived in this town my whole life,” Richardson told the new operators. “I grew up on Montgomery projects. I’ve seen the weed come in, I’ve seen the cocaine, I’ve seen the crack come in, I’ve seen the heroin. I saw what it did. I really respect the fact that you chose to place it on Tonnelle Avenue. You really don’t know what that means to me.”

Ice has said publicly that he does not use cannabis, but he does not condemn those who do. This classic scene When ice gets stoned in Leprechaun in the Hood, it might be the closest thing to the plant. But he couldn’t resist the chance, through The Medicine Woman’s new location, to create opportunities for communities and individuals most harmed by the failed War on Drugs.

The woman behind the medicine woman

Ice-T said its partner, Charis B, is an authority on cannabis that “will ensure our customers and community have a premium experience.” Charis Burrett told officials she wants to offer people a safe place to shop for a variety of products, including her own brand.

Burrett attended high school in New Jersey and has been involved in the cannabis industry since 2015. Her business started as a non-profit delivery service. Now she wants to continue to put affordability and social justice first in the Jersey City location.

“We plan to hire a fairly large percentage of our Jersey City employees,” Burrett told local media on Tuesday. “We plan to hold job fairs to find employees who want to work in the industry,” she added.

The newly licensed pharmacies must meet strict city guidelines for social justice. Social justice actions include partnerships with the Last Prisoner Project and local arts, employment, health and education programs.

To apply for positions at The Medicine Woman, residents should send their resumes to HR@themedwoman.com.

Dan Reagan

Dan Reagan’s is a veteran journalist now based in Los Angeles. A Harlem native, he has been involved with culture and media for over a decade.

Check out Dan Reagan’s articles

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