Wu Tang Clan rapper Raekwon the Chef began dishing up an assortment of marijuana merchandise in New Jersey on Wednesday. He is currently hosting the grand opening party at his new Hashstoria dispensary location in Newark.
This is the fourth pot shop to open its doors under the hip hop artist’s brand name. The other three are situated in Oregon.
“We celebratin, we cuttin the ribbon, we doin errythang,” Raekwon said in a social media post this week. “Everybody’s invited, some of the most illest celebrities is gonna pull up and show some love.”
Famous people in attendance included fellow rapper Fat Joe, American radio host and co-owner Charlamagne tha God, and record producer Diamond D.
Raekwon is raffling off a pair of Wu Tang edition Nike shoes and a variety of other swag. The location will shift from being solely a dispensary to a consumption lounge too in 2025.
@hashstoria opens in downtown Newark. Interview and story coming!#cannabisindustry #cannabiscommunity #jersey #WeedLovers #weed #cannabisculture #NJ pic.twitter.com/msBOYmhjIT
— Heady NJ | Cannabis News Media (@Heady_NJ) November 13, 2024
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Getting the location open wasn’t a cake walk
New Jersey’s Central Planning Board initially rejected Raekwon’s application to set up the Newark dispensary in March last year due to its proximity to a church.
“I pray that you will put this somewhere else, not in the heart of Newark,” Rev. Doris Glaspy, pastor at the nearby Old First Presbyterian Church, said in 2023. “We’re not against people smoking marijuana if they want to, but they can put it somewhere else.”
However, after some negotiating the hip hop lyricist was able to get the board to reconsider in July. Then, in October, the state’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission granted Raekwon and Charlamagne a retail license.
Hashtoria isn’t Raekwon’s first cannabis venture. In 2022, the Wu Tang Clan member launched the “Compliments of the Chef” cannabis brand in the Michigan market.
“It’s incredible to see where cannabis is going and how people are beginning to see how it can unlock superpowers like it has in my life,” Raekwon said in an interview with Forbes at the time.
Raekwon the Chef at the party Wednesday night. Photo credit: The City of Newark
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