Vincent DeNave, a Chatham zoning board official, offered that a marijuana shop would be considered a retail store, similar to a pharmacy.
"If someone came in today it would be considered permitted use," DeNave said.
Last February, a group of pro-cannabis activists came to the Borough of Chatham Council meeting to ask the council members to support the opening of a medical marijuana dispensary in town.
"I have absolutely no problem with medical marijuana but to promote this as being okay is a bad message to the children," Len Resto, council president, said. "I think we need to do everything we can to protect them."
"I don't like to have the government tell me what to do, but in this particular instance, I think this is a real threat," James Collander, Council member, said. "Frankly, I don't understand where some of our elected officials at the state level are going. I really think we need to get a sense of where the community is on this."