Rohan Marley, the son of reggae pioneer and marijuana advocate Bob Marley, has applied along with Colorado-based Lightshade to get a license to open a medical marijuana dispensary in Montclair, according to northjersey.com.

Marley would handle the marketing and hiring for the enterprise, should it gain approval from the Department of Health, the report says.

Marley has history in Essex County. He was in a relationship for more than 10 years with singer Lauryn Hill, a South Orange native, with whom he has five children who spent at least some of their upbringing there.

Marley, 47, played football at the University of Miami -- with Dwayne Johnson, Warren Sapp and Ray Lewis -- then went pro for one year with a Canadian Football League team now known as the Redblacks.

He later became an entrepreneur, first co-founding Marley Coffee, an organic coffee line and sustainable farming business, and then House of Marley, a line of eco-friendly headphones.

“In Jamaica, my family has long been advocating about the medicinal benefits of marijuana and its many pathways to treatment well before its medical and recreational legalization into the U.S.,” Rohan Marley said in a press release, according to northjersey.com.

The number of medical marijuana patients in New Jersey has grown from 16,000 in January to 52,000 last month. And the state currently has seven dispensaries.

To meet the growing demand, the Department of Health has called for applications for 24 new medical marijuana businesses, including 15 retail dispensaries, five growers and four companies that would grow, process and sell cannabis.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter@AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips.