NORTH CAPE MAY – After a long wait and a lot of red tape, the Sea & Leaf cannabis retail outlet opened on Wednesday, July 10, in the North Cape Shopping Center.
Sea & Leaf is the second state-licensed cannabis facility to open in Cape May County since voters approved a referendum measure in 2020 to legalize the recreational use of cannabis. The first, Shore House Canna in West Cape May, opened in the fall of 2023.
Insa Middle Township’s retail cannabis store is expected to open sometime this year, and Seaweed Land, a fully integrated cannabis facility located in Woodbine, was approved by the Planning Board there in January.
Sea & Leaf owner Dilpreet “Jimmy” Singh had been operating a smoke shop at 3860 Bayshore Road in North Cape May, waiting for nearly two years to get the state’s OK to open the cannabis facility. He said he started the process in 2021. He was already operating a smoke and vape shop when the state legalized the recreational use of cannabis.
Singh, a Cape May County resident, said Sea & Leaf will be offering edibles, such as candy and chocolates, vape pens and flowers, to name a few items. Store manager Matt Swift said on July 12 that in the first two days of business, the store sold a lot of pre-rolls and edibles.
Swift said the store had a soft opening on June 24 with no fanfare. The staff used the time between then and the grand opening to get the stock settled in and work the kinks out of the operation.
Following state rules, there are no cannabis products on the sales floor; all of the displays have empty containers. Swift said there are multiple alarm systems, and there is a security guard at the entrance checking IDs to ensure that only individuals over 21 enter the store.
Singh said anyone over 21 can purchase cannabis products without a medical card, although many people are looking to cannabis for health benefits, including pain management.
Singh operates several other businesses in Cape May County, including Pizza Heaven in Cape May Court House. He is retired from the financial services industry.
Sea & Leaf is open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., and delivery is available; call 609-582-3166 or visit http://seaandleaf.com.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
