Federal Court Prevents Jersey City's The Cannabis Place Dispensary from Closure, Mandates City Council Vote on License

Federal Court Prevents Service Disabled Veteran Owned, The Cannabis Place Dispensary from Closure, Mandates Jersey City Council to Vote on License

JERSEY CITY, NJ, UNITED STATES, October 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Cannabis Place 420 Corp. (TCP), a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business and certified Minority Owned Business announced today the entry of a federal Consent Order extending emergency legal protections to keep its Jersey City dispensary operational. The federal court order further mandates that the Jersey City Council restore TCP's local license renewal to its public meeting agenda at it's upcoming meeting. The matter is proceeding under Civil Action No. 3:26-cv-12967 (ZNQ) (JBD).

The October 15 court order is the latest development in ongoing federal litigation filed by TCP against the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 360, and the City of Jersey City. In this action, TCP challenges state-mandated labor agreements. The lawsuit relies on established federal precedent, including a recent ruling wherein a federal judge determined that these specific state mandates unlawfully conflict with the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and are therefore overridden by federal law.

"We are thankful the federal court intervened to ensure our dispensary remains open and our 20 employees can continue their vital work in the community," said Osbert Orduna, CEO of The Cannabis Place 420 Corp. "Our primary focus remains on serving our customers, we went to federal court to protect our constitutional rights and our employees' jobs, and we look forward to prevailing."

Background with City of Jersey City:
On August 24, 2026, the Jersey City Cannabis Control Board conducted a thorough review of TCP’s operations, found no negative aspects, and formally recommended the renewal of the dispensary's municipal license. A City Council vote was scheduled for October 7, 2026. During the City Council meeting, the UFCW Local 360 Director of Organizing utilized the public comment period to urged that the council delay or deny or condition the license renewal, citing an ongoing labor dispute. Following these remarks, the City Council removed the renewal resolution from the agenda without a vote. With TCP’s municipal operating license set to expire on October 10, the procedural delay threatened the immediate closure of the dispensary and the termination of 20 local employees.

In response to the imminent closure, TCP amended its federal lawsuit to include the City of Jersey City, arguing that municipal licensing cannot be leveraged to interfere in federal labor disputes. On October 9, the federal court intervened, granting an emergency stay to pause the license expiration and protect the business's operations. Furthermore, TCP had previously filed formal Unfair Labor Practice charges against UFCW Local 360 with the National Labor Relations Board (Case No. 22-CB-393110) on August 18, 2026, regarding the union's conduct during negotiations.

Pursuant to the October 15 Consent Order—which was mutually agreed upon by TCP and the City of Jersey City—the federal stay on the dispensary's license expiration is formally extended and the City Council is now required to conduct a vote on the license renewal during its upcoming meeting.

"We are thankful the federal court intervened, our dispensary remains open and our 20 employees can continue their vital work in the community," said Osbert Orduna, CEO of The Cannabis Place 420 Corp. "Our primary focus remains on serving our customers while navigating this dispute through the appropriate, established legal channels."

About The Cannabis Place 420 Corp.:
The Cannabis Place 420 Corp. is an adult-use recreational cannabis dispensary headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey. It operates the largest Free Delivery service in New Jersey, it's cannabis delivery network covers Hudson, Essex, Passaic, Union, and Bergen counties. Majority-owned and operated by a Service-Disabled U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran, TCP is certified by the State of New Jersey as a minority business enterprise and operates as an Impact Zone Business.

About Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP:
Constangy, Brooks, Smith & Prophete, LLP is a national labor and employment law firm representing employers nationwide in labor relations, regulatory compliance, and complex federal litigation. TCP is represented by Keya C. Denner, Esq., Dean Kpere-Daibo, Esq., and Matthew Clark, Esq. The firm's New Jersey office is located at 6 Campus Drive, Suite 305, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054.

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Legal Citation:
The Cannabis Place 420 Corp. v. New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission et al., Civil Action No. 3:26-cv-12967 (ZNQ) (JBD) (D.N.J. Oct. 2026)

Osbert Orduna
The Cannabis Place