Looking for a legit Black-owned cannabis shop in Camden? Cuzzie’s is locally rooted, family-run, and stocked with premium, affordable weed, no fluff, just care. Built for Camden, by Camden.
Quick Facts about Cuzzies
- Locally owned and Black-founded
- Fair prices that beat MSO dispensaries
- RSO, tinctures, topicals available year-round
- Transparent sourcing, no junk on shelves
- Community-first mission honoring legacy
Camden’s been through a lot: disinvestment, bad press, and a whole lot of people writing us off. But we’re still here, building, creating, and putting down roots that matter. So when you talk about cannabis in Jersey, especially in Camden, don’t skip over the names that aren’t backed by big capital but by real community. That’s where Cuzzie’s comes in.
Opening a dispensary as a Black-owned business in New Jersey isn’t just about product. It’s about persistence, paperwork, and pushing past a system that wasn’t built with us in mind. Between the licensing red tape, zoning pushback, and razor-thin margins, it would’ve been easier to give up, but we didn’t.
We built Cuzzie’s not just to sell weed, but to change how people feel about it, and about where they live. No flashy investors. No gimmicks. Just quality flower, fair pricing, and people who actually care if you walk out with what you need, not what pads the receipt.
The NJ Cannabis Landscape
Legal cannabis in New Jersey is taxed multiple ways: you’ve got the 6.625% state sales tax, local municipal taxes (up to 2%), and a Social Equity Excise Fee that’s rising from $2.50 to possibly $15 per ounce in coming years. That fee was meant to help equity applicants, but in practice, it adds pressure on small operators like us.
Despite state promises about equity, the market’s still dominated by big-name multi-state operators (MSOs). These are the chains you see with huge budgets and deep inventory, but not always great quality or customer care. That’s why a Black-owned dispensary like Cuzzie’s in Camden stands out.
What Makes Cuzzie’s Different?
Most big dispensaries don’t bother with products that move slow, like RSO or topicals. We do. Not because it’s trendy, but because it helps people, especially our elders and folks managing real medical conditions. We carry what we’d use ourselves, and we hire people who actually know their flower, not just someone trained to upsell.
Our pricing? Built for working people. No crazy markups. Just enough to keep the lights on and the shelves stocked. As one customer put it, “You can tell this place is run by someone who gives a damn.”
Going Deeper: Black-Owned Cannabis Business in Camdenw
1. Equity Promises vs. Reality in NJ
The state said it wanted to support equity applicants, folks from communities hit hardest by the War on Drugs. But in practice? The big boys got in early, and many of us had to bootstrap it with limited access to funding. Cuzzie’s opened on about $600K, that’s lean compared to MSOs spending $2M+ on a single location.
2. Tax Pressure Hits Us Harder
The SEF tax alone could rise to $15 or even $30/oz. That hurts us more than the chains with corporate buffers. Add in state and city taxes, and it’s a tightrope, but we keep prices accessible because our community can’t afford to be priced out.
3. Our Products Reflect Our Values
RSO, topicals, tinctures, these aren’t bestsellers at big-box dispensaries. But we carry them anyway. They help folks with chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety. And they’re often ignored because they’re not flashy. That’s the kind of care you get when the owners are part of the community they serve.
4. Transparency Isn’t a Buzzword
Our budtenders don’t upsell. They listen. If someone’s new, we don’t just toss them the highest THC product. We explain terpenes, delivery methods, and what we actually use. Because let’s be real: THC % isn’t everything.
5. Terpenes Over THC, The Real Game
The myth that “more THC = better weed” is outdated. Experts like Dr. Ethan Russo and the Leafly Science Team confirm that terpene profiles play a bigger role in effects. That’s why we train staff to talk effects first, stats second.
6. Camden Context = Different Rules
From beach smoking bans to lounge laws that change block by block, Camden isn’t just NJ, it’s its own thing. Locals deserve guides who actually understand that landscape. That’s us.
7. We Built This Without a Safety Net
No rich investors. No out-of-state parent company. Just family, community, and a deep belief that weed should be helpful, not harmful. Every jar on the shelf and every face behind the counter reflects that.
Common Misconception: “Black-owned shops are just about identity.
Being Black-owned isn’t a gimmick; it’s a responsibility. We show up differently because we have to. This isn’t a lifestyle brand. It’s a mission to create access, education, and equity in an industry that often forgets where it came from.
How to Apply This in NJ
Step 1: Know What You Want, And What You Don’t
Start with your goal: sleep, stress, pain, or just good vibes. At Cuzzie’s, we help you sort through hype vs help. No pressure to know the lingo, just tell us how you want to feel, and we’ll back into the right product from there.
Step 2: Read the Label, But Don’t Get Trapped by THC%
High THC doesn’t always mean a better experience. We break down terpene profiles, product formats (flower vs vape vs edible), and usage methods so you know what’ll hit right for you. Our budtenders walk you through it like it’s your first haircut, no judgment, just results.
Step 3: Support Local, Impact Bigger
When you shop at a Black-owned business like Cuzzie’s, your dollars don’t disappear into a corporate vacuum. They pay local staff, support legacy educators, and fund community programs. We’re building something rooted in Camden, not imported from Wall Street.
Step 4: Explore More Than Just Flowers
Whether you’re curious about topicals, RSO, tinctures, or low-dose edibles, we keep our shelves stocked with full-spectrum formats most shops ignore. One Camden patient used our RSO to ease post-surgery nerve pain and dropped their opioid use in weeks. That’s not just product, that’s care.
Step 5: Ask the Tough Questions, We’re Ready
You’ve got every right to know what you’re buying and where it came from. Our team invites questions: What farm is this from? What’s the terpene profile? Is this indoor or greenhouse? We answer honestly, and if we don’t know, we’ll find out. That’s trust.
Why Cuzzie’s Is Camden’s Trusted Black-Owned Cannabis Destination
Prices That Respect the Community
We didn’t get into this game to overcharge our neighbors. At Cuzzie’s, we run on tight margins, not greed. That means flower that doesn’t cost a car payment, RSO that doesn’t break the bank, and edibles priced for real people, not tourists.
Products That Actually Work
We don’t stock gimmicks. We carry what we’d use ourselves: full-spectrum oils, trusted brands, and NJ-grown flower we’ve personally tested. Our team builds the menu with one rule: if we wouldn’t smoke it, we won’t sell it.
People Who Give a Damn
Every person who walks through our doors gets treated like family, because that’s how this started. Cuzzie was more than a name; he was the spirit behind this place: loyal, humble, and real. We built this to honor him and everyone like him who never got a fair shot in this industry.
Built in Camden, For Camden
We’re not just Black-owned, we’re Camden-owned. Our team lives here, gives here, and grows here. We host real convos, build trust, and reinvest in the community that raised us. Supporting us means backing a movement, not just a storefront.
Why Cuzzie’s Is Camden’s Trusted Black-Owned Cannabis Destination
Cuzzie’s isn’t just a dispensary, it’s a mission. We were built from the ground up by people who actually live here, care here, and give a damn about what goes into your body and who profits from it. We named the shop after a brother we lost too soon, someone who called everyone “cousin” and meant it. That legacy lives on in how we treat every customer: like family.
Our shelves aren’t stuffed with overhyped mids or empty-label brands. We curate products we’d give our own people, from full-spectrum RSO to edibles that actually hit. Our prices stay low because we don’t answer to corporate boards. We answer to Camden. And our people deserve better.
We invest in education, fair access, and staying real. No gimmicks, no gatekeeping, just community-first cannabis that heals, uplifts, and makes you feel seen. That’s what it means to be a Black-owned business rooted in Camden.
FAQs
What People Really Want to Know
“Why does NJ weed feel overpriced for the quality?”
You’re not wrong to ask. A mix of licensing delays, limited competition, and taxes, especially the Social Equity Excise Fee (SEF), pushes prices up statewide. But that doesn’t mean all shops overcharge. At Cuzzie’s, we keep margins razor-thin so regular folks can afford the plant. Because healing shouldn’t be a luxury.
Also read (NJ Cannabis Social Equity Tax: What You Need to Know)
“Do Black-owned dispensaries carry the same stuff?”
Better question, do we carry what actually matters? While corporate chains stock what’s fast-moving, we carry what works. That includes hard-to-find RSO, high-CBD options, and full-spectrum tinctures. These aren’t trend-chasers, they’re for folks with real wellness needs.
“Is there a real difference between indica and sativa anymore?”
Not really. Breeding has blurred the lines. What matters more? Terpenes. Want energy? Look for limonene. Need calm? Linalool might be your friend. We don’t just sell weed, we walk you through what to expect based on real science.
“Can I trust budtenders to give good advice?”
At Cuzzie’s? Yes. Our staff isn’t trained to push product; they’re trained to listen. One of our customers came in for help with sleep. We walked them through THC/CBN edibles, and they reported better rest within a week. Real conversations matter.
“Is all this regulated or just vibes?”
It’s regulated. Heavily. Every product is lab-tested, ID is checked on every purchase, and we comply with NJ CRC rules down to the decimal. But we wrap that compliance in comfort, so you feel welcome, not watched.
Disclaimer
Cannabis affects everyone differently. The information provided in this article is based on real-world experiences, expert sources, and state-compliant facts. It is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider for specific health conditions, and follow New Jersey state laws regarding purchase, possession, and use.
References
- New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission. (2025). Cannabis Laws & Taxation Summary. Retrieved from https://www.nj.gov/cannabis
- Leafly Science Team. (2024). Why Terpenes Matter More Than THC. Leafly. https://www.leafly.com/news
- Project CBD. (2023). RSO and Chronic Pain: What the Research Says. Retrieved from https://www.projectcbd.org
- Russo, E. B. (2021). Taming THC: Potential Cannabis Synergy and Phytocannabinoid-Terpenoid Interactions. British Journal of Pharmacology, 163(7), 1344–1364.
- WebMD Editorial Review. (2023). RSO and Cancer Claims: What We Know So Far. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com