After 5 years in business, Rise Paramus begins recreational cannabis sales

Green Thumb Industries will begin selling recreational cannabis at its Rise dispensary in Paramus July 24.

The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission recently approved the multistate operator’s application to expand into the personal-use market. Now, the Route 4 storefront can serve adult-use customers.

Previously, borough code permitted the five-year-old shop to exclusively offer medical cannabis.

Cannabis controversy

Supporters of the measure believe that municipalities already approved those facilities as cannabis businesses. They say that requiring another round of local authorization creates unnecessary barriers for operators seeking to participate in the state’s growing adult-use market.

Critics feel the law overrides decisions made by towns that chose to prohibit recreational cannabis sales.

State voters approved marijuana legalization statewide in 2020. Since New Jersey launched legalized adult-use sales in April 2022, more than 300 dispensaries have opened across the state.

In 2025, New Jersey recorded nearly $1.2 billion in recreational and medical cannabis sales.

‘It’s a slap in the face’

Paramus Mayor Christopher DiPiazza  has said he believes the legislation sets a dangerous precedent. The Republican was elected in November 2022 after serving as a borough councilman.

He previously told NJBIZ, “The idea that Trenton and state legislators can come in and overrule zoning ordinances and municipal dos or do nots in town, it is scary for the whole state. The governing body in Paramus is elected by Paramus residents. The planning boards and the zoning boards are appointed by that elected government. And we have all decided that recreational use is not permitted in Paramus, and we have been rewarded at the ballot box because of that.

“And for people in Trenton that do not represent Paramus, to do that is not democratic and it’s a slap in the face,” he said. “It’s insulting. And it should worry all 564 mayors in the state.

Rolling out the celebration

Besides Paramus, GTI has dispensaries in Bloomfield and Paterson. Altogether, the Chicago-based MSO has 120 retail locations across 14 U.S. markets.

GTI said it is “thrilled to expand to adult-use customers” in Paramus.