Castle of Greens seeks Vernon’s support in getting cannabis retail license

Vernon. The Vernon Township Council was expected to vote on a resolution on Monday that would aid a local company apply for a New Jersey cannabis retail license.

Castle of Greens LLC appeared before the council on March 14 seeking a resolution of support for their license application. The application period opened on March 15.

According to a letter from Keren Gonen, the owner of Castle of Greens, the company has acquired a piece of property located at 218 Route 94 for the retail facility. Castle of Greens was founded by a team that includes Gonen, a Vernon resident with children in both the middle and high school.

Caste of Greens has partnered with The Anzilotti Group to provide for safety and security. The group is headed by Robert Anzilotti, a former chief of detectives for the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

Gonen said she believes if anyone sells retail cannabis in Vernon, it should be a township resident. “I’ve always said that Vernon is a sleeping giant,” Gonen said. “I’ve made it my mission to wake it up.”

Mayor Howard Burrell said the resolution would say Castle of Greens is the type of business township officials would want, and that they have a location, and certifies that that they meet all the township requirements. “There’s no guarantee they’re going to get a license,” Burrell said. “By giving them this resolution, it just enhances their possibilities.”

With no resolution printed, Councilmen Brian Lynch and Mike Furrey were opposed to voting on the measure then. “We need to see what we’re voting on decide accordingly,” Furrey said. “So, I don’t think it’s appropriate to do tonight.”

Council President Patrick Rizzuto agreed. “I understand there is a submission deadline, but I think once we allow ourselves to be moved by a timeline consideration, we lose the opportunity to deliberate,” he said.

The council planned to vote on the measure at Monday’s special budget meeting.