{"id":22509,"date":"2023-07-25T05:56:43","date_gmt":"2023-07-25T09:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shorebeat.com\/brick\/?p=22509"},"modified":"2023-07-25T06:03:58","modified_gmt":"2023-07-25T10:03:58","slug":"ocean-countys-first-recreational-cannabis-store-is-breaking-stereotypes-we-took-a-tour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/2023\/07\/ocean-countys-first-recreational-cannabis-store-is-breaking-stereotypes-we-took-a-tour\/","title":{"rendered":"Ocean County’s First Recreational Cannabis Store is Breaking Stereotypes: We Took a Tour"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ocean<\/a>

Ocean County\u2019s first recreational cannabis dispensary, The Social Leaf, July 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)<\/p><\/div>\n

A group of five entrepreneurs from different backgrounds who became friends by supporting each others\u2019 businesses decided one night over a steak dinner: let\u2019s go for it.<\/p>\n

After making significant investments of both capital and sweat equity, plus a lengthy regulatory approval process, the partners behind The Social Leaf<\/a>, the first \u2013 and so far only \u2013 recreational cannabis dispensary in Ocean County, have pulled it off. Having opened just a few days after the busy July 4 weekend, passersby on Route 9 in South Toms River have likely noticed the fresh, bright-white building and, most times of the day, a busy operation.<\/p>\n

The first place to which one might compare The Social Leaf: an Apple Store.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people have actually said that,\u201d said Thomas Marino, one of the co-owners of The Social Leaf, located at 334 Atlantic City Boulevard (Route 9). \u201cWe wanted it to look clean, sleek and modern. We didn\u2019t want to look like a head shop. We wanted to stand out \u2013 clean lines, ambience, a fresh atmosphere. People have said it feels like a combination between an Apple Store and a lounge, and that\u2019s exactly what I was going for.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Social Leaf blasts apart stereotypes of what many would think a cannabis dispensary would look like. Similar to its early counterparts in Las Vegas, the interior of the building is spotless, IDs are checked by a hostess and an off-duty police officer provides security. The lights are bright and fresh. Huge LED television screens feature menus, ordering is digitally-assisted with tablets, and each customer is provided with personal service from a salesperson who answers questions and shows off products in transparent cases with granite countertops.<\/p>\n

\"Ocean<\/a>

Ocean County\u2019s first recreational cannabis dispensary, The Social Leaf, July 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Ocean<\/a>

Ocean County\u2019s first recreational cannabis dispensary, The Social Leaf, July 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cWhen we got pretty close to opening to doors, people would stop by and they were a little shocked,\u201d said Bill Hall, another one of the co-owners, with a chuckle. \u201cThey told me, \u2018I thought there\u2019d be tons of pictures of the Grateful Dead and tie dye.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

The reality couldn\u2019t be more different, but while the store\u2019s ultra-modern look \u2013 largely designed by Marino and much of which was physically built by Hall \u2013 may smash through the first level of stereotypes and misconceptions, the business as a whole is one where the owners say they intend to foster a sense of community, bring more investment into the area, and actively help local organizations and give back.<\/p>\n

The Local Touch, A Local Commitment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Marino got his start in business running barber shops, including one he owned in Toms River and another in Lacey. He also owned a shop in Puerto Rico. Hall has experience in the cannabis industry, and fellow partners John Earp and Jennifer Forsdahl own The Beanery coffee shop in downtown Toms River. Frank Guzzi, the fifth partner, brings the expertise he\u2019s experienced by running a successful masonry and paving business.<\/p>\n

Everyone is a local \u2013 from Toms River, Lacey, and so on \u2013 and the group has a unique strategy for reaching out to the community, easing concern over the taboos that remain about recreational cannabis sales, and growing the business in the long term.<\/p>\n

The shop features competitively priced flower, vapor cartridges, edible items and pre-roll offerings. The staff guides customers through the selections \u2013 Sativa strains of the plant are known for their energizing and invigorating properties, while Indica strains are known for their relaxation and calming aspects. There are also hybrid strains, and some that are known for best assisting with medical conditions such as stomach issues. The Social Leaf sells to both medical and recreational customers, with medical customers receiving their own pricing levels under state laws.<\/p>\n

On a weekday afternoon when Shorebeat visited, a melting pot of clientele gathered around the counter as a few people waited in line. Even the owners have been surprised at diversity of their customers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve seen a lot of our elderly neighbors coming in, trying this later in life for the health benefits,\u201d said Marino. \u201cWe plan on reaching out, going out in the field, including the adult communities, and educating people on it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Hall is a cannabis educator and will be responsible for much of that outreach.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe makes it his duty to know everything about cannabis and give people the right information from someone who knows what they\u2019re talking about,\u201d said Marino.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still think a lot of people are a bit taboo about it, but we see literally people from all walks of life in here,\u201d said Hall, heading into the third week of business. \u201cThe plant really does bring people together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ocean<\/a>

Ocean County\u2019s first recreational cannabis dispensary, The Social Leaf, July 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)<\/p><\/div>\n

As many in the industry have predicted, cannabis will likely, one day, reach some level of equivalency with fine wine or craft beer in terms of strains, varieties and flavors.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still brand new, and I\u2019m sure right after prohibition there was a stigma about alcohol, and then one day it was pretty much forgotten,\u201d said Marino.<\/p>\n

The Social Leaf hopes to not only reach out to the community about legal cannabis, but support local organizations, especially those that benefit veterans, first responders and youth sports, and donate both time and monetary support to worthy causes.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe want to give back to the community, build a park or a field, and want that to be a big part of our business,\u201d Marino said. \u201cIt\u2019s our kids playing in these parks, we\u2019d love to help Little League and other organizations, not only with money but with volunteering. We also really appreciate our police officers, firefighters and EMTs, public works workers, and we want to do well by the communities we\u2019re from.\u201d<\/p>\n

Room to Grow<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Social Leaf is more than just the name of a store, its owners said, it\u2019s the brand around which the business is built. Convenience is part of that. The store began accepting pre-orders online last week and will eventually be hosting a delivery service. A long-term goal is to actually invest in land to grow cannabis plants locally.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now, we have a retail license, and there are 11 licensed [cultivation] vendors in the state,\u201d Marino explained. \u201cThere are some mom-and-pops like us who are doing their build-outs and getting approved over the last few months. They\u2019ll have their harvests ready soon, and that\u2019s good news.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFor us,\u201d he continued, \u201cwe want to grow our own brand, sell our own brand \u2013 and then you\u2019re in charge of your own destiny. You can really stand behind it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Ocean<\/a>

Ocean County\u2019s first recreational cannabis dispensary, The Social Leaf, July 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)<\/p><\/div>\n

While Ocean County voters overwhelmingly supported the legalization of recreational cannabis when it was placed on the ballot in 2020, and is home to the largest number of medical marijuana patients in the state, many municipalities almost instantly adopted \u201copt-out\u201d ordinances that banned its retail sale.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of towns said, \u2018we know how you voted, but we\u2019re going with no,'\u201d said Hall. \u201cSouth Toms River has been just great, though. They\u2019ve been great to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n

Setting a good example, therefore, is part of the company\u2019s business plan as well; perhaps with positive experiences, the market will grow in acceptance and create more opportunities for The Social Leaf and other cannabis entrepreneurs. That, the owners say, starts the second someone walks into the store.<\/p>\n

\"Ocean<\/a>

Ocean County\u2019s first recreational cannabis dispensary, The Social Leaf, July 2023. (Photo: Shorebeat)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cAs far as trying to break taboos, when you talk to one of our advisors, we want you to be comfortable with what you\u2019re buying,\u201d Hall said. \u201cNobody is rushed, and you leave with a good understanding of what you purchased.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one thing about our brand is that we\u2019re from the community \u2013 we\u2019re here, our kids are here, we expect every customer to come in and feel welcome,\u201d added Marino. \u201cAnd if we can do that, it\u2019s probably our biggest advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n

~<\/p>\n

The shop is open seven days per week, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.<\/p>\n

<\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A group of five entrepreneurs from different backgrounds who became friends by supporting each others\u2019 businesses decided one night over a steak dinner: let\u2019s go for it. After making significant investments of both capital and sweat equity, plus a lengthy regulatory approval process, the partners behind The Social Leaf, the first \u2013 and so far […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1649,12],"tags":[24,3116,3480,4484,4999,100],"class_list":["post-22509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-business","category-ocean-county","tag-brick-nj-news","tag-cannabis","tag-dispensary","tag-featured","tag-the-social-leaf","tag-toms-river"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/social_leaf_nj_dispensary_toms_river_1360-scaled.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pgt2Ft-5R3","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/shorebeat.com\/brick\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}