In August 2023, the Newark, NJ-based cannabis dispensary and lounge, co-founded by Raekwon, had its application approved, as previously shared by AFROTECH. The feat came after the Newark Central Planning Board rejected the business operating as a Class 5 cannabis retail facility.

“@hashstoria is guaranteed to be the top tier consumption lounge/dispensary to hit the east coast period,” Raekwon wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “You heard it from the chef himself. We will be right in the heart!”

On Oct. 23, it was announced that Raekwon, alongside his business partners, Charlamagne tha God and Bakari Sellers, received a Class V cannabis retail license from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC), according to a press release. 

The license places Hashstoria in a further position to officially open its doors soon. 

“We are excited to be working with the great city of Newark to safely and legally expand the cannabis industry in the city,” Sellers shared in a statement. “The Hashstoria team is grateful to the Mayor’s office and to the City Council for their collaboration and we will continue to work closely with them as we take the next steps in this amazing endeavor.”

He continued, “We are extremely proud to become members of this great community and will strive daily to have a positive impact and help bring cannabis opportunities to a community that spent decades as targets of the failed War on Drugs.” 

Raekwon, Charlamagne tha God, and Sellers will be working with RHG Architecture + Design’s Rachael H. Grochowski to restore the historic building where Hashstoria will take over.

“I’m thrilled to apply my expertise in crafting a space that not only mirrors our collective vision but also optimizes the potential of every element,” she said. “Design will play a pivotal role in shaping the comprehensive experience of our customers, from the very moment one enters. Our partnership with Hashstoria signifies an unwavering dedication to creating an environment that transcends conventional expectations, ushering the entire cannabis journey into a new realm of excellence.”

Hashstoria is aiming to open the doors to its dispensary in early 2024 and the lounge later on in the year.

Ngozi Nwanji

Ngozi Nwanji is a Nigerian-American journalist, writer, and content creator from and based in Silver Spring, Maryland with a passion for storytelling, media representation, and music. Along with writing for AfroTech, she’s the founder of her own entertainment website, Z’s P.O.V — a platform for underrated music and Black creatives.