Change To Cannabis Ordinance Proposed By Parsippany Resident

PARSIPPANY, NJ — A local resident recently spoke to the council about a potential amendment to the current cannabis ordinance.

Cassara Grasso, the owner of the local business Flow State Massage and Bodywork, is asking the township council to consider passing an amendment to Ordinance No. 21-14 to allow Class 5 retailers within the township.

The current ordinance was previously amended in 2021 to allow a limited number of class three cannabis wholesaler licenses and class four cannabis distributor licenses.

Under the amendment, wholesalers can obtain and sell cannabis items for later resale to licensees, while distributors transport items in bulk throughout New Jersey.

Grasso, who also owns a business called Happy Days Boutique with her husband, Shaun Astorga, is hoping that an amendment will allow her to build a “community-focused and educationally driven world-class dispensary.”

Happy Days Boutique was also recently awarded a conditional license from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, she said.

According to Grasso, one of the benefits of the amendment would be an increase in revenue for the township. For example, the township would receive 2 percent of the proceeds from each sale made by the future dispensary.

“A conservative estimate of $160,000 a year would be collected in tax revenue for Parsippany. In addition to the two percent tax revenue, Happy Days Boutique will allocate two percent of its net sales, up to $150,000, toward charitable donations and town projects that align with our core initiatives,” Grasso said.

In response to the proposal, Councilman Justin Musella spoke in favor of a potential amendment, claiming that exploring other sources of revenue for the township and keeping businesses local was something worth considering.

“In our financial times that we have… I’m in favor of revisiting that ordinance so that way we can keep the businesses in town that want to add something to this municipality. I thank you for coming up here and sharing your story,” Musella said.

Some people are concerned about the potential location of a retail cannabis shop. Grasso claims that if the amendment is approved, they will locate a number of vacant commercial properties in town near major highways and away from residential communities, schools, and places of worship.

In response to Grasso’s statement, Mayor James Barberio said there are more factors to consider than just a potential revenue stream for the township.

“We can sugarcoat anything we want: how it’s safe, how it’s not safe, who says this and that. The bottom line is that it’s about the dollar. As you said, it’s two percent that the township gets, and councilman, as you said, the township would get that revenue. But at what cost do we get that revenue at? There’s a cost to money… this could be a side effect, or it could be something positive,” Barberio said.

The mayor cites the rise in marijuana and drug paraphernalia found in the neighborhood high school as one of the main causes of concern. That is a serious problem that the township is currently dealing with, according to Barberio, and it is cause for concern.

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