Existing laws protect Bernards Township for now from having a marijuana dispensary moving into town without the explicit permission of the Township Committee, township officials concluded following a discussion last week, after which they declined to take action on the issue at this time.
Medical use expanded in NJ, but recreational marijuana is still prohibited
Medical marijuana, with strict controls, is now available in New Jersey, but recreational use of the substance remains illegal in the state.
State officials in recent months were allowing an expansion of the number of medical marijuana dispensaries, but the deadline date for applying for a new dispensary at any location in New Jersey passed on August 22, said Mayor Carol Bianchi and other officials. She said the township had received no applications seeking to open such a dispensary in Bernards.
"I feel we are adequately protected," Bianchi said. "We are prepared to address it if there an application."
Bianchi had previously said she viewed any potential siting of a medical marijuana facility in Bernards Township as a zoning issue.