Dr. Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez, a 2x combat disabled veteran, cannabis entrepreneur, professor, and founder of The Other Side Dispensary, has filed a tort claim notice against the City of Jersey City as a precursor to potential class action litigation regarding the city’s cannabis licensing process, municipal oversight, and alleged harm to local cannabis operators.
“Cannabis was supposed to be a path toward restoration, economic mobility, and community reinvestment,” Dr. Brevard-Rodriguez said. “Instead, many of us were placed into a system that extracted from us while failing to provide the structure, consistency, or fairness necessary for survival. I am leading this fight because leadership does not end when the mission gets hard.”
The tort claim notice begins a statutory review period during which the parties may pursue resolution, settlement discussions, or mediation. If the matter is not resolved by the end of August, Dr. Brevard-Rodriguez and other impacted operators intend to move forward with a formal lawsuit, including potential class action claims, seeking monetary damages and broader accountability for what they allege was a flawed and politically influenced municipal process.
“I have to be brave because this was never just about one business,” said Dr. Alyza Brevard-Rodriguez. “This is about what happens when a state creates an equity-centered cannabis program, but municipalities are given enough control to delay, distort, or derail the very people the law was supposed to support. I served this country for 10 years, invested my savings, liquidated assets, and believed in the promise of this industry. What happened in Jersey City should concern every equity operator in New Jersey.”
Dr. Brevard-Rodriguez, a disabled Navy veteran, entered the cannabis industry after experiencing the therapeutic impact of cannabis in her own transition from military service after being during the pandemic. Her business, The Other Side Dispensary, was once recognized as one of Jersey City’s most diverse cannabis applicants and aligned with New Jersey’s stated equity goals for the emerging adult-use market.
However, according to Dr. Brevard-Rodriguez, the promise of equity was undermined by Jersey City’s implementation of its cannabis licensing framework.
The anticipated legal action is expected to challenge the City’s arbitrary, capricious, and unreasonable conduct abusing its limited authority under the “home rule” provision of CREAMMA in New Jersey’s cannabis market, particularly where local governments have significant influence over licensing approvals, endorsements, zoning, and operational timelines. Dr. Brevard-Rodriguez alleges that Jersey City’s process caused serious financial harm to multiple entrepreneurs, including operators who invested significant capital in reliance on municipal approvals and state-level equity objectives.
Dr. Brevard-Rodriguez says the matter is especially urgent because several Jersey City cannabis operators have publicly raised concerns about the city’s handling of cannabis licensing, oversaturation, delayed approvals, shifting requirements, and the economic impact on small businesses. Other operators, including high-profile business owners such as Ice-T and additional Jersey City shop owners, have also been critical of the local process and its impact on cannabis businesses.
"New Jersey had an opportunity to build one of the nation's most inclusive cannabis markets. The question now is whether policymakers are willing to address the gaps between the promise of the program and the reality experienced by many participants."
The forthcoming suit, if filed, would seek monetary damages and may become one of the more significant legal challenges to a municipality’s role in New Jersey’s adult-use cannabis rollout. The case could have broader implications for how local governments participate in state cannabis programs, particularly where equity applicants, disabled veterans, minority-owned businesses, and small operators are involved.
Dr. Brevard-Rodriguez is working with other impacted operators and legal counsel as the tort claim period proceeds. Additional details regarding the legal claims, parties, and damages will be released if the matter advances to formal litigation.
