When one of Anthony Lotti’s coaches suggested he try a cannabis edible to deal with pain and restless nights, he was a bit wary at first. But when you’re sleeping upright and wearing a brace 24/7, you’re willing to try anything.
“I wasn’t sleeping and I wasn’t eating because it was so uncomfortable with that brace on and it wasn’t until a strength coach on the team came to me and said I know you’re miserable, I know you're tired, take an edible and go to sleep,” Lotti told Rootwurks this week.
“I noticed how it helped me with pain management and this is where the light bulb went off and I thought - this can help so many people. Why do I have such a negative attitude towards it?”
That epiphany in 2019 laid the foundation for Lotti to become a co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of “Earth & Ivy,” an exclusively adult-use cannabis dispensary in New Brunswick, New Jersey, home to Rutgers University.
Earth & Ivy was one of the first two recreational cannabis-only dispensaries to open in the state (Both Earth & Ivy and Nova Farms claim to be first), and officially greeted its first customers on May 20th.
Lotti said that flower has made up about 45% of their sales so far, followed by edibles and vape carts. The recreational cannabis dispensary employs 30 people, including 15 budtenders, and is in a pocket of central New Jersey with a low concentration of dispensaries.
Lotti and his two co-founders all played D-I sports at the University of Pennsylvania. Lotti and co-founder and Chief Financial Officer David Ryslik played football at Penn, while Chief Revenue Officer and co-founder Sasha Stephns played soccer for the Quakers. Sasha Stephens is the youngest black woman to own a cannabis dispensary in the United States, according to Earth & Ivy.
Going into his sophomore year, Lotti suffered a bad injury that sidelined the free safety and spelled the end of his football days. It was during his nine-month rehabilitation for a shattered shoulder and nerve damage that Lotti’s strength coach broached the idea of cannabis edibles.
For the three Ivy League athletes, changing the narrative on cannabis is part of the equation.
“We were constantly told that in order to get back on to the playing field there was some opioid you had to take, some cortisone shot you had to take, all these horse pharmaceuticals they used to treat you but if you used cannabis you had to be off the team. And that was kind of a microcosm of a larger societal problem of us demonizing cannabis use because we associate it with negative things while simultaneously promoting these harsh pharmaceuticals that do a lot of damage to people,” Lotti said.
But while cannabis has become more mainstream, Lotti said he doesn’t see any NIL (“Name, Image, and Likeness”) deals involving cannabis and NCAA athletes anytime soon.
“The four things that the NCAA won’t allow are alcohol, gambling, the adult industry, and cannabis. We’ll definitely go to Rutgers tailgates, but as far as the interactions with the players go, they have to walk a fine line.”
“The Lululemon of dispensaries”
Lotti described how many dispensaries have gone for an ambiance that leans harder into stoner culture, while others go for the opposite extreme. For Earth & Ivy, Lotti said the point has been to find a sweet spot somewhere in the middle.
We want to be “the Lululemon of dispensaries,” Lotti said, adding that “we’re trying to bridge the gap between professional culture and cannabis culture and find that midpoint.”
The earthy tones and sleek-but-not-sterile look of the dispensary are also somewhat reflected in its name. According to Lotti, Ivy refers to the founders’ years at Penn, but it also conjures up greenery, plants, and nature.
The idea to found Earth & Ivy began with the three founders in 2020 when New Jersey voters approved recreational cannabis legalization in the Midterms. Lotti said the three did not believe that it would be May 2023 before they opened their doors.
When asked what has been the hardest part of founding a dispensary, Lotti said “navigating the legislation, it was so new to everyone, not just us, but also for the municipalities that were going to be hosting these businesses in their towns.”
Lotti added that “it wasn’t so much the funding or getting the business model right, it was working with the government.”
But beyond figuring out how to manage compliance and the ins and outs of cannabis legalization in New Jersey, there was also the need for patience.
“We were in limbo, we put our application into the state and didn't hear back for 10 months. Being patient with the government and understanding that this is a new industry was the most difficult part.”
Lotti said that the business has gone well for the past two months, and every day is a learning process.
Lotti said they’re focused on ensuring the flagship store is a success and running as smoothly as possible. He does have the goal of opening one new location every calendar year, and he said that this should be helped by the fact that the brand resonates with a lot of people.
When asked if he has any advice on how to open a dispensary in New Jersey, Lotti laid out two principles. First, you need to have a rock-solid business plan and the right partners and figure out what your strengths are. Second, you have to be persistent and patient.
“It’s a long road, it's not like setting up an ice cream shop or something like that. It’s a long waiting game, but if you are persistent and put one foot forward every day for six months you're going to look back and say holy cow look how far we got, let’s keep going!”