NJ Biz: ANJA Life Aims to Open Highland Park Dispensary by Early 2023
Kimberly Redmond
November 03, 2022
After receiving a conditional license from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC), Anja Life LLC plans to open its first recreational dispensary early next year in Highland Park.
“This is a dream come true for us,” Julio Casado, chief executive officer of Anja Life, said of the Oct. 27 approval of its application to operate as a Class 5 Cannabis Retailer.
Anja, a minority-owned business, secured a location for its retail shop at 225 Woodbridge Ave. and will now begin seeking approval from the municipality to open.
Casado added, “We are thrilled to create an equitable and meaningful impact in the cannabis industry in New Jersey. We look forward to welcoming customers across the state and strengthening community partnerships in this emerging market.”
In a statement on its website, Anja said its goal is “to create safe cannabis commerce” and “help define this ever-evolving market through personal experiences, trusted educational resources and industry expertise.”
“The founders have been guided through their personal experiences to create a dispensary that solves many of the issues they faced as individuals who were consumers of cannabis. Some founders have experience in consumption of products directly and others with indirect experience through family members or friends,” the company said.
Anja was among the 297 conditional license applications approved last week by the CRC.
Since March, the board has issued 801 permits to applicants looking to open retail cannabis businesses in New Jersey.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 10:33 a.m. ET Nov. 8 to correct Julio Casado’s name.