ORAL
history.
From broadcast towers to Bloomfield Avenue. Three generations of media, music, and now cannabis — all rooted in one Montclair household.
A FAMILY BUILT
on sound.
Long before Jake Kushner ever thought about cannabis, the Kushner household ran on a different kind of frequency. Steve and Patty Steele-Kushner built their careers in radio and broadcasting — an industry where understanding your audience is everything.
Steve’s career in broadcast gave the family a front-row seat to how media shapes culture. Radio, especially in its golden decades, was not just entertainment — it was community infrastructure. Stations defined neighborhoods, launched careers, connected people to music they had never heard.
Patty Steele-Kushner brought her own energy and expertise. Together they created a household where media, music, and cultural awareness were the family business. Dinner conversations covered ratings and playlists, new artists and audience trends, the craft of connecting with people through sound and story.
For Jake, growing up in this environment was formative. He learned early that the best brands don’t talk at people — they talk with them. They listen. They evolve. They stay authentic to who they are even when the industry changes.
- Jake attended Montclair High School
- Family in Montclair since the 1990s
- Deep ties to the local music + arts scene
- Active in community organizations + events
- Business rooted in Montclair values: authenticity, culture, inclusion
“Montclair taught me that the best businesses are extensions of their community. They don’t just serve people — they belong to them.”
THIRTY YEARS
on tape.
- 1990sSTATION · 01
MONTCLAIR ROOTS
The Kushners settle in Montclair. Family becomes a fixture in the neighborhood — local schools, local restaurants, local stages.
- CareerSTATION · 02
ON THE AIRWAVES
Steve and Patty build careers in radio + broadcast. Front-row seat to how media shapes culture, communities, and creative scenes.
- MHSSTATION · 03
JAKE GROWS UP
Jake walks the Montclair streets, attends MHS, absorbs the unique energy that makes the town distinct from any other suburb.
- 2021STATION · 04
NJ LEGALIZATION
NJ passes adult-use cannabis. Jake studies the market — visits dispensaries in Colorado, California. Notices the missing piece.
- DecisionSTATION · 05
THE PIVOT
Family discussion. Broadcast brand-building lens applied to cannabis. Authenticity, music tie-in, community first. The pieces fit.
- JUL 2025STATION · 06
5–0 APPROVAL
Montclair Planning Board votes unanimously. The proposal meets the community's standards because the family already does.
- 2026STATION · 07
ON AIR · 665 FM
KCN broadcasts daily from 665 Bloomfield Ave. Three generations of Kushner audio — now on the same frequency as the cannabis they love.
WHERE MUSIC
meets cannabis.
Music + cannabis isn’t a marketing angle. It’s a historical fact.
Jazz musicians in the 1920s and 1930s were among the first American artists to openly embrace cannabis. Louis Armstrong called it “an assistant, a friend.” The 60s deepened the bond — cannabis became inseparable from the creative process across genres.
The Kushner family experienced this intersection firsthand through broadcasting. They saw how music brought people together, how it created community, how it transcended demographics and geography. Cannabis does the same thing — brings people to the table, slows the pace, encourages conversation, enhances experience.
KCN’s tagline — “Dispensary + Music + More”— declares those threads aren’t separate. They’re woven together. The “More” is the community that forms when you bring them under one roof.
This isn’t about playing background music in a store. It’s about building a brand that understands why music matters to cannabis culture, and vice versa. The Kushners don’t fake this understanding. They lived it.
Cannabis products are intended for adults 21+ and medical patients with valid identification. Products are not approved by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Use may cause impairment and dizziness. Do not use while pregnant, breastfeeding, or operating vehicles. Keep all products secure and away from children and pets.