MOUNT LAUREL, N.J. (WPVI) — A Girl Scout troop's idea to sell cookies outside of a Mount Laurel, New Jersey, marijuana dispensary has drawn both praise and criticism, prompting the cancellation of a planned follow-up sale.
Two weeks ago, the troop set up a cookie booth outside Daylite Dispensary, a family-owned recreational cannabis business that opened in 2023. The stand was positioned outside the exit door of the shop.
Steve Cassidy, founder and CEO of Daylite Dispensary, said the troop first contacted the business about hosting a cookie sale in 2024, but did not receive approval from the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey.
"I own this business with my parents, my wife, and my best friend, so we are very much a part of this community. We are from this area and surrounding towns," Cassidy said. "A friend of my sister's is involved in the Girl Scouts locally, and a couple years ago, they reached out to see if we could get something going here. It wasn't something that the Girl Scouts were interested in doing at the time."
He said the troop reached out again earlier this year after receiving approval to try the idea as a trial.
"About a month ago or maybe a few weeks ago, they reached back out saying, 'Hey, we got the greenlight to give this a go as a pilot program,'" Cassidy said.
The girls set up outside the dispensary with chaperones and sold cookies to customers entering and leaving the store.
"They set up shop outside, had a really great event, and we don't know if they're coming back anytime soon, but they're certainly welcome to come back whenever they like," Cassidy said.
According to Cassidy, the response from customers was enthusiastic.
"Customers were thrilled with it," he said. "We saw a lot of customers grabbing cookies, coming in super excited to show off what their favorite cookies were. It was a really cool, engaging event for us."
However, as word spread, the cookie sale also drew some criticism and unwanted attention.
"I think not everybody felt the same way that it was a positive thing, and we still believe that it is, and we respect their decision if they want to come back or not, that's totally up to them and we respect that," Cassidy said. "If I were to guess, it's probably a mix of a little bit of stigma, but I think they have their own rules too, and maybe this went a little too far for them out of their comfort zone."
According to cookie booth requirements listed on the Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey website, "Girl Scouts should not sell in or in front of establishments that they themselves cannot legally patronize."
A second cookie booth planned for Friday night was canceled.
Some community members said they did not see a problem with the location.
"If it makes a sale, then do it," said Gina Humphreys of Marlton. "Everyone's worried about an image so much that it's not necessary. They're just girls trying to sell cookies, you know?"
Cassidy said the dispensary hopes to continue supporting community organizations.
"It is a little unfortunate, but things are changing, and I think this was a step in the right direction that they were willing to give this a shot as a pilot program. I think it was a great success," he said.
"We really hope that this is a sign of things to come, other groups that were maybe hesitating to come out here and partner with the dispensary now see something like this as a success," he continued.
The Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey did not immediately respond to a request for comment.