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Ha thx. Growing up in JC was great...some good times back then. Funny I always remember my mother and the parents of the block telling us all to stay away from the Butterfly Head Shop up Journal Square. Ha which made us all the more curious of what they were selling and why.

This is the first year no one immediately wrote “April Fools” on a reply to my piece minutes after I posted it. Nice but I do miss all the traffic on JCList.

Got to go the Easter Bunny is coming. Lol.

This is truly a pisser to read Neverleft.

I sent it to all of the now Senior Citizens I grew up with in JC mentioned in the piece. We all suffered with the paranoia of the sixities.

"Life is change. How it differs from the rocks."
Jefferson Airplane.

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https://youtu.be/dyP_8ZREf38

Grateful Dead - Roosevelt Stadium - Jersey City, NJ - August 4, 1976 from James and Amanda Brookings home video collection. Halfway through the 4-hour concert Jerry Garcia requests one of the Brookings grilled cheese sandwiches be brought to the stage. #Munchies

Ironically on the same video at 28:31 is foxy Jessica Richard taking a hit from a massive joint.

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JC Mayor Unveils Comprehensive #BlazeUpJC Campaign, Mailing samples to all 120,000 Households Citywide

The success of his #JCMakeItYours and #MaskUpJC campaigns inspires the creation of a new #BlazeUpJC campaign.

JERSEY CITY - Mayor Fulop joins the Health and Human Services Department and Office of Innovation to unveil a multifaceted public campaign called #BlazeUpJC, to expand upon the city’s ongoing efforts of providing critical tools and resources to help Jersey City residents get acquainted with the numerous cannabis shops and their products opening shortly around the city. The #BlazeUpJC initiative centers on a citywide cannabis sampler distribution, wherein two throwback city-branded varieties of cannabis Hague’s Ghost and Skelzies, a few accessories, and recipe booklet are being sent via mail carrier to all 120,000 households throughout Jersey City.
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Under the #BlazeUpJC campaign, the city is distributing 2,000 stickers to businesses that read, "BLAZE UP MUNCHIE UP". Business owners can put the stickers on their storefront windows to encourage customers to come in and tame their cravings. The mayor states the opening of dispensaries will not only benefit the owners of the dispensaries (and their landlords wink wink) but will also have a large positive economic impact on every food establishment in the city. Which are still suffering from the turndown in sales during the pandemic. It may also spur growth of new restaurants.
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As mentioned on the Jersey Digs website a new yet to be named chain of grilled cheese sandwich shops will be opening around the city soon. The owners are long time JC residents and Deadheads James and Amanda Brookings. “We got our start selling grilled cheese sandwiches outside of the Grateful Dead concerts in the old JC Roosevelt Stadium and Journal Square Stanley Theater back in the 70’s. We had a successful run over the years following the band around the country setting up our stands outside of their venues. “says James. Brookings further states “Amanda’s mental health started to decline so our crazy tie-dyed life on the road had to stop. Amanda claims it is just old age setting in, but I think her job as a fresh faced 14-year-old in Journal Square’s Butterfly Head Shop (near the old Crazy Eddie like Sound Machine electronics store) contributed to her health decline. Let’s put it this way they were selling way more than just incense sticks out of the backroom and employees of course had to sample the goods for quality control. Enough said.”
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“Because of our inability to get around and not wanting to be THAT couple in electric old people’s scooters selling grilled cheese sandwiches at concerts in comes the idea of opening brick and mortar shops in the town where it all started for us Jersey City. Props to the New Jersey and JC suits for passing the pot dispensary laws. Right On! “
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Along with the sampler the #BlazeUpJC packages contain a letter from the Mayor and a "Blaze Up JC" poster from the winner of the JC Public Schools pot diversity poster contest. (hmm would love to meet the winners parents) In the Mayor's open letter, residents are also encouraged to sign up for the city's “Potline” alert system to receive important updates of where the freshest batches of weed were just delivered. Sort of like a cell phone version of Krispy Kreme's “HOT NOW” neon window signs.
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Since January, the city has distributed over 500 samplers to senior citizen buildings. The mayor states “We wanted to get the kits out to our elders first. They suffered the most because of the archaic marijuana laws.” Interviewed for this piece Jessica Richard 75 years young dressed in her vintage faded “FREE LOVE” tee shirt and some ill-fitting hot pants. Let me say it here I don’t think Jessica was a fan of Nair’s 'Who Wears Short Shorts' advertisement or product. Good for her though as she lives by that old expression “baby let it all hang out” but this reporter is NOT wishing for a Sharon Stone moment from Jessica. She said back in the day they would have to hide in the hidden crevasses of JC always on the lookout for “The Man” just to get a few sweet tokes in.
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She brags how her boyfriend Bobby a Marist High School student used to sneak out of the school building and toke under the Turnpike rt 78 extension bridge along with his Country Village boyz and occasionally Brother Andre (oops). Never busted. All of their initials and the obligatory weed symbol are still there on the steel beams just as she said.
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Although she appreciates the mayors’ efforts she says “look at me I am in a suit of wrinkles I could be a stunt double for the old bathtub woman in room 237. (hmm more to come on that) What good would it be getting high now who is going to want to party with me? Everyone in this facility is either half dead or dying. No amount of little blue pills will make any of these old stiffs stiff. What a bummer” as she gives this reporter THAT look..yikes. **
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"Our data shows that the major contributor to the disdain for JC dispensaries is misinformation. We hope to change that with our BlazeUpJC campaign. As the old saying goes Knowledge is Power and we hope to educate every JC resident about the coming cannabis retail stores. We don’t want any “Reefer Madness” NIMBY ers stopping our progress. You can’t blame any JC old-timers for the disdain because they were smoking pot way before any of us were born. They welcome weed!” said Stacey Flanagen, CCB Commissioner and Director of Health and Human Services.
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The "Blaze Up JC" branding will be deployed throughout Jersey City's communication channels, including digital kiosks, billboards, and social media. The city's website also serves a unique role for non-English speaking residents, who can find the same information in their native language on the website. Just by looking up their country’s names for cannabis…Kenevir, Kạỵchā, Konopí, Maconha, Pango, Siddhi, etc. https://www.jerseycitynj.gov/
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** full reporter disclosure – To avoid any unwarranted lawsuits or claims of sexual harassment I would like to give the full details of my encounter with Jessica Richard at the JC Hamilton Park Nursing Home. Upon entering her single occupancy room decorated in a 1970’s motif with black light posters, lava lamps, and tie-dyed scarfs covering the two dimly lit lamp shades I detected a faint unfamiliar odor of pot. As time went on my head was becoming cloudy as was my judgement. At one point during the long interview, I swear a beautiful 20 something year-old woman was standing buck naked right in front of me offering me a doobie and something extra. I resisted the temptation but did for one second place my hand on her exposed buttocks. Some may consider it copping a feel. I felt like The Shining’s Jack Torrance in the Overlook Hotel’s room 237 bathroom scene. Unlike Torrance’s encounter I am happy mine didn’t go any further than a quick touch. Jessica must have a stash of some way strong ganja from the 70’s to cause those kinds of hallucinations on her unintended love targets. Some JC cannabis dispensaries might just want to look her up and get some old seeds. It would be a killer marketing idea and killer strain. You could name it Jurassic Park. But please proceed with caution when in her presence!