Upper Township Approves Bayside Supply for Jersey Shore Dispensary

Cape May County's First Adult-Use License

Bayside Supply Company won unanimous planning board approval for a dispensary in Upper Township, becoming the first adult-use retailer licensed in Cape May County. The facility will operate in a commercial corridor near the Garden State Parkway, targeting year-round residents and seasonal tourists who currently drive north to Atlantic County dispensaries.

Upper Township's approval follows a municipal ordinance passed in January 2024 that permitted up to two cannabis retailers within township limits. Bayside was the only applicant to advance through the local review process, which included site-plan approval and community input sessions.

Strategic Positioning in Underserved Shore Market

The southern Jersey Shore has remained a retail desert for adult-use cannabis despite New Jersey's $1.6 billion in cumulative sales through July 2026. Cape May County, with a year-round population of 95,000 that swells to over 500,000 during summer months, has no operational dispensaries. Atlantic County operates seven adult-use locations, all in or near Atlantic City.

Bayside's location near Exit 17 of the Garden State Parkway positions the dispensary to intercept southbound traffic heading to Cape May, Wildwood, and Ocean City beach towns. That corridor sees an estimated 12 million vehicle trips annually during the May-September tourist season, according to New Jersey Turnpike Authority data.

If Bayside captures even 2% of tourist households during peak season, the dispensary could process 120,000 transactions in five months. Roughly equivalent to a mid-tier urban location's annual volume.

What to Watch: Construction Timeline and CRC Final Sign-Off

Bayside Supply must now win final annual license approval from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission before beginning construction. The CRC typically processes municipal approvals within 60-90 days, putting Bayside on track for a late Q4 2026 or Q1 2027 opening if construction proceeds without delays.

Upper Township's approval doesn't guarantee CRC licensure, but municipal sign-off is the highest hurdle in New Jersey's dual-approval process. The CRC has denied fewer than 5% of applications that cleared local government review, according to agency data through June 2026.

For full background on this story, see the CannIntel topic hub on New Jersey dispensary expansion.

Watch the CRC's September 12 public meeting, where commissioners typically announce new annual licenses. If Bayside appears on that agenda, the company could break ground by October and open in time for summer 2027.