East Rutherford is the latest municipality to ban the sale of recreational marijuana in an attempt to get around proposed state legislation to make it legal.
The council voted unanimously to prohibit any dispensary intended for the sale of non-medical marijuana, or any of its psychoactive derivatives, throughout the borough. Hemp products are excluded.
"As a father of two children, and knowing the possible effects of marijuana being a leeway into other drugs, I know it’s something we don’t want in our town," said Councilman Philip Sorbero. "That’s for sure."
Should state lawmakers legalize marijuana for recreational use, a conflict may arise in the area due to the Meadowlands District Zone.
The zone, overseen by the New Jersey Sports and Exhibition Authority, overlaps with the borders of Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Little Ferry, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, North Arlington, Ridgefield, Rutherford, South Hackensack and Teterboro, as well as several Hudson County municipalities.