Other big cities, like Atlantic City, Hoboken, Jersey City, Newark, Trenton and nearly 60 other New Jersey towns, scrambled to enact regulatory measures to cash in on cannabis. Camden’s regulations for pot businesses appear to be weeks or maybe months away.
“I’m not concerned with expediency. I’m concerned with getting it right,” said Nichelle Pace, chair of this city’s 18-member cannabis committee. Pace says, at this point, “all things are on the table.”
Pace is confident Camden will be a prime venue for marijuana businesses. “There’s high interest from cannabis companies (because) we’re right across the bridge from Philadelphia,” said Pace, noting that cannabis companies routinely phone her, eager to do business in the city.
New Jersey towns face a hard deadline of Aug. 21 to “opt-in” or “opt-out” of pot businesses, including adult-use dispensaries and delivery services, wholesalers, distributors and pot cultivators.
Camden is not in danger of missing out. The City Council gave itself more time to write its own rules by voting in mid-June to “opt-out” of the state program.
Towns that “opt-out” can switch at any time to allow pot businesses. Municipalities that quickly open to cannabis companies must wait five years to reverse their decisions or make significant changes to local restrictions.