Mayor Gusciora Celebrates City Council Support of Cannabis

Simply Pure Downtown Trenton Plans to Open in May

Trenton N.J. – On February 9, 2023, the Trenton City Council approved Resolution 23-025, issuing a Class 5 Cannabis Dispensary license to Simply Pure Downtown Trenton LLC; today, Mayor Reed Gusciora celebrated the dispensary, which plans to open next month.

Simply Pure Downtown Trenton LLC owner, John Dockery, is one of many individuals recently granted conditional licenses as a “social equity applicant.” The State of New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission recently began prioritizing granting cannabis licenses to dispensaries run by people of color, those within areas disproportionately affected by marijuana arrests, and those operated by people with prior marijuana convictions. Dockery fit all three categories and has now cleared the final hurdle of municipal approval to open his legal dispensary, located at 28. S. Warren St.

“John Dockery and Tahir Johnson are precisely the success stories we hope to hear,” the Mayor affirmed. Dockery, who has been charged three times with marijuana possession, called the move a “full circle moment,” stating that “the generational wealth this will create for my family is surreal.”

During his time representing the City of Trenton in the 15^th Legislative District, Mayor Gusciora sponsored legislation to legalize medical marijuana and adult-use recreational marijuana. Mayor Reed Gusciora has long emphasized the importance of including those disproportionately affected by marijuana laws into the state’s cannabis industry.

“There are plenty of people that went to jail or prison for marijuana that have more experience than a lot of these corporate entities. We wanted to make sure they were able to get into the doorway themselves and be just as successful as a company coming in here from Colorado,” Gusciora stated.

In 2021, the City of Trenton approved legislation to expand the number of city dispensaries and include downtown Trenton in areas where marijuana is permitted, which is precisely where Simply Pure Downtown Trenton LLC plans to open.