Haddon Township is quietly positioning itself for a major shift in its local business landscape, with two long-awaited cannabis dispensaries expected to open along the Route 130 corridor in the early months of 2026. After years of deliberate debate and cautious planning, the township is now moving from policy to reality, setting the stage for a carefully managed retail cannabis presence that reflects both redevelopment goals and community priorities.

For a municipality that initially chose to sit out New Jersey’s recreational cannabis rollout, this moment represents a significant pivot. Township leaders formally revised their local ordinances in 2024 to allow a limited number of cannabis businesses, but only within clearly defined redevelopment zones along Route 130. Rather than dispersing retail locations across commercial strips or near traditional downtown areas, officials structured the program to concentrate activity within a corridor already shaped by large-scale commercial traffic and underutilized parcels.

The result is a tightly focused plan that will bring exactly two dispensaries into Haddon Township—both tied directly to redevelopment projects designed to modernize aging properties and stimulate new investment.

One of the two approved operators is Brotherly Bud, a company that already operates in nearby Mount Ephraim and has spent months working through site planning and community review in Haddon Township. Township officials have been evaluating Brotherly Bud’s proposed redevelopment design for a Route 130 location, focusing on traffic flow, parking layout, building appearance, lighting, and operational logistics. According to local officials, the goal has been to ensure that the business integrates cleanly into the corridor without creating congestion or altering the character of nearby residential neighborhoods.

The second dispensary, while not always identified by name in public-facing announcements, is tied to a high-profile redevelopment project at the corner of Route 130 and Nicholson Road in the West Collingswood Heights section of the township. That plan calls for the demolition of two long-standing commercial properties—the former Whata-Weiner restaurant and the Edwards Books building—to make way for a purpose-built dispensary facility. Township officials have described the approval process as clearing the path for redevelopment that had stalled for years, replacing aging structures with a modern retail site designed specifically for cannabis operations.

Both locations are now moving through final development and permitting stages, and township leaders expect the two stores to open within the coming months of 2026. When they do, they will mark the first time Haddon Township has allowed retail cannabis businesses to operate within its borders.

The measured approach is no accident. Mayor Randy Teague and other township officials have openly acknowledged that Haddon Township’s delay in entering the market was intentional. By waiting while neighboring communities moved ahead more quickly, the township was able to observe how dispensaries functioned in real-world settings, how traffic patterns evolved, and how local zoning strategies performed.

That experience helped shape a regulatory model that limits the number of licenses, confines locations to redevelopment areas, and avoids placing cannabis retailers in established business districts or near residential corridors. It is a strategy similar to one used by nearby municipalities such as Collingswood, which also directed dispensary activity toward Route 130 rather than its walkable downtown core.

Beyond land use and community planning, there is also a clear economic rationale driving the township’s decision. Municipal officials have pointed to regional estimates suggesting that a single dispensary can generate roughly $240,000 per year in local taxes and municipal fees. While actual revenue will depend on sales volume and final operating structures, township leaders view cannabis retail as a long-term fiscal tool that can support local services without raising property taxes.

Just as importantly, redevelopment-driven dispensary projects offer an opportunity to reinvest in underperforming commercial sites that have struggled to attract traditional retail tenants. New construction, updated infrastructure, and improved site design are expected to raise surrounding property values and improve the visual quality of the corridor.

Haddon Township’s move also reflects a broader transformation taking place along Route 130 throughout South Jersey. The highway has rapidly emerged as one of the region’s most concentrated corridors for cannabis retail, largely because its commercial zoning, traffic volume, and distance from residential centers make it attractive to both operators and local governments.

In nearby communities, several dispensaries are already operating within a short drive of Haddon Township, and they are often mistakenly assumed to be part of the township itself due to the continuous nature of the Route 130 strip. In Collingswood, a dispensary operates at 35 East Crescent Boulevard in a redeveloped former commercial building along the highway. In Camden, a drive-through cannabis retailer serves customers from a site just off the corridor near Mount Ephraim Avenue, offering an alternative retail model that emphasizes convenience and rapid customer turnover.

The corridor continues to expand north and south as well. Hamilton Township recently opened a dispensary inside a repurposed restaurant building along Route 130, while Cinnaminson now hosts a cannabis retailer just off the highway on Taylors Lane. Delran has developed multiple operating dispensaries, and Willingboro has introduced a drive-through model designed to accommodate high-volume traffic without impacting local streets.

Collectively, these projects have reshaped Route 130 into a regional destination for regulated cannabis retail, with municipalities using the industry as a redevelopment engine rather than a standalone retail category. Haddon Township’s decision to enter the market now places it squarely within that evolving regional framework.

What distinguishes Haddon Township’s rollout, however, is its emphasis on limited scale. By approving only two locations and tying both to redevelopment sites, township leaders are signaling that cannabis retail is being treated as a targeted economic development strategy—not a broad expansion of commercial use.

For residents, the coming months will bring the visible transformation of familiar properties. The former Whata-Weiner and Edwards Books buildings, long part of the local commercial landscape, will give way to new construction. Landscaping, lighting, and traffic improvements will reshape the Nicholson Road intersection, while the second site along Route 130 will similarly undergo redevelopment designed to modernize an aging parcel.

For consumers, the arrival of two new retailers will add to a growing network of licensed options across Camden County and Burlington County. Shoppers seeking to explore regulated cannabis retail across the state can follow coverage and updates on new openings, approvals, and market trends through Explore New Jersey’s ongoing reporting on New Jersey’s expanding dispensary scene.

As Haddon Township prepares for its first dispensary doors to open, officials remain focused on execution rather than expansion. Inspections, final site approvals, and operational readiness reviews are expected to continue through the winter, with opening dates announced as construction milestones are reached.

In a region where Route 130 has become synonymous with the rapid rise of cannabis commerce, Haddon Township’s carefully timed entry reflects a more deliberate philosophy—one that blends redevelopment, fiscal responsibility, and long-term community planning. By confining its first two dispensaries to purpose-built projects and limiting their footprint, the township is attempting to capture the economic upside of a growing industry while maintaining the character of its neighborhoods and commercial centers.

When the lights turn on and the first customers arrive in early 2026, the opening of these two stores will represent more than just new retail options. They will signal a new chapter for Haddon Township’s redevelopment strategy—and its place within South Jersey’s fast-evolving cannabis corridor.