Home CultureBlack-Owned The Other Side Dispensary Opens in Jersey City Heights

The Other Side Dispensary Opens in Jersey City Heights

by Hoboken Girl Team
Hoboken Girl Team
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Jersey City entrepreneur Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez is opening the doors to her latest venture this weekend. Since 2022, Alyza and her team have been working to open The Other Side Dispensary (TOSD) at 36 Congress Street in Jersey City Heights. The Hoboken Girl spoke exclusively with Alyza about an opening date for the dispensary and what customers can expect once they reach The Other Side. Read on for more about Jersey City’s newest cannabis dispensary, The Other Side — which opens on Saturday, October 12th.

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About the Dispensary

Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez is the founder of SW3AT Wellness, and she views cannabis as a natural extension of the wellness benefits offered at SW3AT. “At SW3AT, we offer yoga, infrared sauna, and meditation which are all wellness tools,” she said. “To me, cannabis is just another option for people.”

Alyza, a veteran, suffered an injury during her final tour with the Navy and turned to cannabis to help her manage the physical and emotional injuries she suffered. “I was on all these pills that were prescribed to me by the V.A. and having all kinds of side effects,” she said. “It was cannabis that really helped my symptoms without the side effects. I realized that all veterans need access to this product in a way that won’t harm or punish them within the military.”

a sitting area at the other side dispensary

Photo Credit: The Other Side Dispensary

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When cannabis was legalized in New Jersey, Alyza knew there was an opportunity for her, both to start a business and to connect more people with cannabis. In 2022 she began gathering her team, learning more about the laws in New Jersey, and started the process in earnest toward opening The Other Side Dispensary (TOSD).

Read More: New Bill Will Change Hemp Sales to Be Regulated Like Cannabis in NJ

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The various tiers of state and local approval took months, and during that time, Alyza used her experience to advocate for others. “There is a huge social aspect of this topic,” Alyza said. “We want to present this information in a way that opens up some conversations. We want to get the brand out, and have conversations about what’s happening. That means getting on podcasts, going to conferences, and talking about Black and brown business ownership.”

Since the cannabis business is so new in New Jersey, Alyza also viewed the process as part of a feedback loop for regulators and others in the industry. “As it’s written, a policy might sound amazing on paper, but we’re living out the reality of it,” she said. “It doesn’t always work as intended, and if no one speaks up, there’s no way for regulators to know about problems and no way to improve things.” She prides herself on being transparent with supporters and others in the industry as a way for others to learn.

TOSD was funded by 100% minority investors. Patience, tenacity, and advocacy all paid off, as Alyza and her team have received all of the necessary approvals from both Jersey City and the state of New Jersey. TOSD will officially open on October 12th, 2024.

What to Expect

Per Alyza, the experience at TOSD is one-of-a-kind. “This is a cannabis dispensary redefined,” she said. “It blends wellness, education, and luxury in the most interactive retail experience.” TOSD has what Alyza calls the Bud Bar, which she says is atypical for dispensaries in New Jersey. “Most dispensaries have the product in a vault, and customers can’t smell or see it before they purchase it,” she said. “With the Bud Bar, we are still in compliance with all the regulations, but the packaging is set up so that customers can see and smell the product.”

a hallway at the other side dispensary

Photo Credit: The Other Side Dispensary 

Alyza also credits her team for the top-tier experience customers can look forward to. “We have a diverse team who has been trained in providing education and a great customer experience,” she said. “We’ve spent a lot of time training for that, and they each bring their own flair to the shop,” Alyza says she relied heavily on her military experience to train the team. “I used the motto from my time in the military, ‘train like you fight, fight like you train’ to guide our training,” she said. “Everything we did here is going toward our goal of having a high-end experience with a focus on wellness.”

The wellness aspect is woven throughout the experience at TOSD. It is decorated in soothing greens and Alyza says the team works hard to create a good vibe, from the music playing to the artwork on the walls. “Even though the space is calming and beautiful, it’s still in Jersey City,” she said. “So there is some art that is more gritty, more urban, but it’s authentic to the space.” The dispensary has a lounge area that she says is stocked with cannabis-related educational material such as industry magazines, books,  and hand-selected video content playing on a TV.  “The whole space is meant to be interactive,” she said. “Even the art is educational, such as educating people about the impact of heat on different terpenes. It all blends so beautifully,”

 


 

The tagline for TOSD is “You’ve Found Your Tribe” and Alyza hopes that that’s what each customer feels when they visit. The emphasis on education and the interactive setting of the dispensary are different from many other dispensaries in the area, she said. But the main thing is the connections that come from building her brand over the past few years. “Finding your tribe is not just our tagline, it’s really something that we’re about through and through. I’m so honored that people have taken that to heart,” she said.

By talking about her journey in the cannabis business, Alyza says she’s been able to connect with like-minded people who believe in cannabis as a wellness tool. “I serve the community by offering yoga, meditation, and other services. I want to get cannabis on par with that,” she said. “Many of us use cannabis for physical and mental well-being. I want to continue that conversation so we can change the way cannabis is viewed.”

Looking Ahead

Alyza looks forward to sharing what she’s been working on with the Jersey City community. “We have four bus stops right nearby and we’re close to the Ninth Street Light Rail station,” she said. “It’s easy and accessible for people to visit us.” She hopes the emphasis on education and a high-quality experience in the store will resonate with a broad spectrum of customers.

See More: New Cannabis Dispensary, The Kush Connection, Coming to Montclair

The original plans for TOSD included an on-site consumption lounge. The laws governing on-site consumption have changed since then, meaning it will take longer for that piece to come together.  In the meantime, Alyza looks forward to building up a customer base and serving the Jersey City community.

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