A private Jesuit university has dropped a lawsuit seeking to block a recreational cannabis dispensary near one of its buildings.
In 2022, Saint Peter’s University (SPU) sued to stop Xena, formerly Medusa, from opening within 200 feet of its Ignatius Hall dormitory.
The lawsuit alleged the dispensary would have “substantial negative impacts” on SPU and its students.
It even went so far as to speculate that SPU could lose federal funding for being close to a cannabis dispensary, since cannabis is still illegal at the federal level.
But now, according to NJ.com, SPU has dropped its lawsuit, perhaps due in part to the school vicinity rules only applying to K-12 institutions.
Xena owner Haytham Elgawly, who confirmed there was no settlement, said SPU “came to the right conclusion and they’re letting the small business prosper.”
“A recreational cannabis dispensary should be looked at the same way as bars and liquor stores as opposed to an entity that’s going to cause harm in the neighborhood,” he added.
