'PTA mom' opening Morris County's latest pot dispensary, with Tokey the Bear by her side

BOONTON — After years of wrangling with state and local officials, "Tokey the Bear" is ready to welcome the public to the town's first retail cannabis shop .

Following a soft opening that began last week, Boone Town Provisions will cut the ribbon for its official grand opening on Sunday. Morris County's fifth retail pot dispensary is located along Myrtle Avenue (Route 202), across the street from the Boonton Lanes bowling alley.

"Where there's smoke, there's fire," reads a sign held by the grizzly-bear-sized Tokey statue inside the shop. The mascot has proven popular for selfies taken by customers visiting the 6,500-square-foot former industrial building that was renovated into a modern retail storefront with an outdoors theme.

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Montville mom Jamie Singer has partnered in the venture with her brother-in-law, Justin Singer, an attorney who has focused his practice on the cannabis industry for the past eight years. His expertise helped guide their plan through the regulatory hurdles required to be licensed by the state, which favors local female or minority candidates.

"There have been challenges, but it's so rewarding pioneering this new industry," Jaime Singer said. "The prohibition in our state has ended, so we have a great opportunity to build this up at the ground level. It's very, very exciting."

A veteran salesperson in the advertising industry, Singer said the fledgling cannabis industry − and her new business − came along at the perfect time. "I've spent most of the last 10 years raising a family and serving as a volunteer for community events, the schools, that sort of thing," she said.

Boone Town Provisions owner is a 'PTA mom'

So when the opportunity came to grab the "grass ring," Singer said she jumped right in.

"I have always been in sales and marketing and have always been a people person," she said. "I have also always been a believer in cannabis, for the many benefits."

Her young adult customers are more open to the sale and use of recreational cannabis. Older residents sometimes take more convincing before they warm to the concept of a legal weed shop in their town, she added.

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"We encourage health and wellness," Singer said. "We are doing our best to destigmatize it. I'm a PTA mom that anyone can understand. This doesn't have to be what maybe you thought of it in the past. There's a lot of benefits, there is dosing data, and it's all regulated and third-party tested."

Boonton permit denial led to ideal location

The Singers also had to weather a stormy process to be cleared on the local level. Boonton is one of just eight towns in Morris County to permit local dispensaries.

Their first application in Boonton received initial support from local officials, but the town council in late 2022 ultimately voted down the proposal for a smaller dispensary in a closed electric supply shop on Division Street. Critics noted the intended location was along a narrow corridor with limited parking and some residential buildings.

The council voted after hearing strong opposition from the public. The Singers were disappointed at first, but, as it turned out, "that was the best thing that ever happened to us," Justin Singer said.

The owner of the Myrtle Avenue building, reading about their plight, contacted the Singers to propose leasing his space. They quickly agreed. "This is so much bigger, so much better," Jaimie Singer said. "It's right on a main road, and there's plenty of parking."

Retail cannabis shops in Morris County

Boone Town Provisions is among a small but steadily growing selection of retail pot dispensaries that have opened in the county since New Jersey voted to legalize marijuana use in 2020:

• The first, Kind Kush, opened last summer on Route 46 in Rockaway.
• Another shop, G2 Dispensary , recently opened nearby on the same highway.
• Rockaway Township entered the market In March with the opening of Holistic Relief near Rockaway Townsquare mall.
• Ascend Cannabis also recently moved its Montclair location to Wharton.

Grand-opening party plans

Smoking is prohibited inside Boone Town Provisions as well as outside the shop, But customers arriving for the grand opening on Sunday will find a live Grateful Dead cover band, Workingman's Jed.

The event will also include product discounts, free food and and drinks, free gifts for the first 100 customers and giveaways by vendors attending the opening. Vendors will include representatives of the TerrAscend cannabis grow facility in neighboring Boonton Township.

Tokey may resemble a certain forest fire-fighting bear, but Justin Singer said there are no trademark conflicts with Smokey the Bear. Tokey is employed only as an indoor attraction to promote a "fun" culture in the shop.

"The store has an outdoor and camping vibe," he said, and Tokey "is a wink and a nod. We're just having some fun and people are already connecting with it."

William Westhoven is a local reporter for DailyRecord.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today .

Email: wwesthoven@ dailyrecord.com Twitter/X: @wwesthoven

This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: 'PTA mom' opening Morris County's latest pot dispensary, with Tokey the Bear by her side