Sussex Cultivation operates as both a licensed manufacturer and cultivator in Vernon, New Jersey, with plans to scale their indoor and light deprivation greenhouse canopy to 30,000 square feet. Their manufacturing facility features state-of-the-art solventless and hydrocarbon equipment capable of processing up to 75 pounds of biomass hourly.The Onyx brand specializes in premium cannabis extracts, offering live resin cartridges, badder, live rosin, hash, and liquid diamonds. They employ two cutting-edge extraction techniques: solventless methods using only ice water and pressure, plus hydrocarbon extraction with a 70/30% solvent blend that varies by recipe. Their facility includes specialized equipment like the Hashatron machine for solventless live rosin production and Pure Pressure machines for hash processing.Onyx partners with award-winning local cultivators like Garden Greens from Vineland, using fresh frozen buds to craft their initial product lines. The brand is available at select New Jersey dispensaries including Pure Blossom, Nirvana, High Street, SoulFlora, and Hashery, with plans to launch fresh flower, hash holes, and pre-rolls in the coming months.
Onyx represents the ambitious vision of the Dowling family, who transformed years of industry experience into New Jersey's most promising cannabis brand. Founded by president Brian Dowling and owned by his mother Lori, this women-owned and family-operated company began pursuing cannabis licensing in 2018 with initial medical applications. While those early efforts didn't materialize, they positioned Sussex Cultivation perfectly for New Jersey's recreational market.The company secured both cultivation and manufacturing licenses, launching their state-of-the-art processing facility in Vernon in March 2024. Named after Brian's beloved dog, Onyx launched just months later in 2024 with a clear mission: supporting local New Jersey operators and elevating the state's cannabis industry standards. The family brings diverse expertise from healthcare staffing (Nurses 24/7), finance, and cannabis operations, with CFO Joe Bellantoni contributing experience from managing a large Oregon cannabis farm. Their ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the beginning of production, with goals to have products on shelves by 4/20 2024.
Onyx exists to transform New Jersey's cannabis experience by proving that customers deserve better quality products at fair prices, addressing the fundamental problem where "nobody wants to walk into a dispensary and spend their entire paycheck on two bags of cannabis and a vape". Committed to sustainable living soil practices and rare, stable genetics, they ensure a continuous supply of top-quality cannabis while supporting New Jersey's expanding market.The brand champions local collaboration, stating "We love New Jersey. We want New Jersey people and businesses to thrive and we want to uplift all the other independent New Jersey operators". Community engagement sits at their core, with dedication to establishing robust partnerships and offering co-manufacturing opportunities to fellow businesses across the state. Through transparency and openness, they lead from the manufacturing side, showing consumers the faces behind the company and building trust as New Jersey's homegrown cannabis brand.
What sets Onyx apart is their refreshing authenticity in an industry often dominated by corporate multi-state operators. This is genuine local love—a New Jersey family using their own money, expertise, and passion to elevate the state's cannabis standards. Their transparency is remarkable; they literally open their doors for facility tours and maintain face-to-face relationships with every dispensary partner.The quality speaks for itself—dual extraction capabilities mean broader product variety, from solventless rosin to precision hydrocarbon extracts. Their Manufacturing Director's promise that "you won't get anything that's clear as day and tastes like hay from us" reflects their no-compromise approach. For deal-seekers, Onyx offers premium quality typically associated with higher price points, with Brian's goal to offer live resin products "at price range that almost matches distillate". They're proving that supporting local doesn't mean paying more—it means getting more value from people who truly care about New Jersey cannabis consumers.