Village Hoboken, the East Coast recreational cannabis endeavor for former NBA star Al Harrington, is open for business at 516 Washington St. with a grand opening set for 10 a.m on Saturday.
By Daniel Ulloa/Hudson County View
“I’m grateful to have the opportunity to bring my love of and experience in the cannabis industry over the last 13 years to Jersey,” Harrington said in a phone interview.
“It’s a full circle moment to open a dispensary in the state where I was stopped and frisked as a kid who had never even touched flower.”
According to a Village press release, they will cater to the needs of the many professionals living in the area by providing quality customer service in a timely manner.
The dispensary will feature a wide array of products, including those produced by his landmark brand, Viola, which he co-owns with his wife Michelle. They also want to be the exclusive provider of certain products.
“We’re expecting a really good turnout and just excited to have an impact in the Hoboken community. It’s a just home vibe you’re going to get. We want to be elite,” Al Harrington said, noting they’re going to offer delivery.
“When we get you in there, we want to educate you about all the products.”
Dan Pettigrew, a co-owner of the store, expressed excitement about opening in the Mile Square City.
“We’re excited to open our first East Coast location. A lot is happening in the industry. And we look forward to continuing to grow our brands in New Jersey and beyond,” he said,adding their name reflects their desire to educate and empower the community, especially people of color.
“It takes a village to be successful,” Harrington declared.
Harrington noted that it was not an easy road, noting that it took them about three years to open from start to finish.
“They were really afraid of what it would be like to have cannabis come into the community,” he opined, stressing how secure and safe dispensaries are, on top of being a legitimate business.
He praised their local partner, Yilung Huang, a local businessman, for his help in the process. Harrington noted they wanted a partner whose values aligned with his in terms of giving back to the community via philanthropy.
Viola will be near the Blue Violets dispensary, which opened in April. They each received Hoboken City Council approval at the same meeting in June 2023.
Both were delayed by the the litigation surrounding Story dispensary, which was settled a year ago before receiving planning board approval in December.
Harrington explained he got into cannabis when his grandmother Viola – who the dispensary is name after – who had glaucoma visited him while he was still playing in the NBA. He told her he had heard of the power of medical cannabis for healing.
“She didn’t know what cannabis was, by the name of cannabis,” Harrington noted.
“Boy, I ain’t smoking no reefer!” he recalled her saying.
Nevertheless, he persisted and was able to persuade her it would help. He asserted that after she smoked for the first time, she cried when she was able to see well enough to read the Bible again.
Harrington is an NBA native, born in Orange and raised in Elizabeth before he was drafted by the Indian Pacers as the 25th pick of the first round in 1998.
He stayed on the court for 16 seasons, also playing for Atlanta Hawks, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, and Washington Wizards.
Viola made a deal with a large MSO, Green Thum Industries (GTI) Rise, to get Viola products into the New Jersey cannabis market, which has allowed them to be involved for longer than most.
Viola is a cannabis corporation that is a Global Multi-State Operator (MSO) that operates in Canada and has dispensaries in Illinois, Missouri, and now New Jersey.
Harrington said many came into cannabis and threw money at it with little connection, cannabis expertise, or community ties.
In contrast Viola has made itself known at many sorts of unique cannabis events in New Jersey, including underground legacy markets.
Harrington explained when he first entered the industry, there were few minority-owned legal cannabis companies.
“There was no diversity in most states. There’s still a lot of work to do still in 2024. We still having these same issues,” he declared.
Additionally, Harrington lamented many underground legacy operators have not had an opportunity to participate in the legal industry.
“That’s something we’re fighting for,” he said.
Harrington and Pettigrew were proud supporters of the NJ CAN 2020 campaign to legalize cannabis in New Jersey. He took part in virtual rallies held while the COVID-19 pandemic was ongoing.
“First, we were stigma crusaders,” he noted, expressing that opening this dispensary is not the end of their goals.
“We’re looking at other opportunities in the state,” Harrington added, pointing out that they will be debuting new cannabis strains through their Viola brand soon.