Bans or restrictions on recreational marijuana business have been passed in the following municipalities:
Berkeley Heights
Clark
Cranford
Garwood
Kenilworth
Summit
Westfield
The following municipalities are considering bans:
Fanwood
New Providence
Roselle Park*
The following municipalities have not decided on a ban or are amenable to marijuana businesses in parts of their towns:
Springfield
Linden
The following municipalities will allow the sale of marijuana:
Don’t expect to purchase recreational marijuana in this borough in the near future.
While officials said they might later revisit the decision, the borough council on Thursday joined a growing number of New Jersey municipalities who will prohibit cannabis commerce within their borders following the state’s legalization of recreational marijuana.
The Westfield Town Council voted Tuesday night to introduce an ordinance "opting out" — for now —of allowing cannabis shops in town.
What partly drove the decision is that the council can change its mind at any time, members noted before the vote. Under current state legislation, a municipality that votes to allow the shops must do so for at least five years — but a town that votes no can make a new decision later.
With marijuana legalized last year for recreational use in New Jersey, all towns were told they must vote to opt in or opt out by this summer.
Legalized cannabis is here to stay in New Jersey, but Westfield residents who participated in a virtual meeting held by the town’s cannabis commission last Thursday overwhelming opposed the prospect of the municipality allowing the licensing of recreational cannabis dispensaries.
“It’s a basic decision. Under the law, municipalities have 180 days, and that’s until August 21 this year, to either prohibit outright, or limit the number of establishments, distributors or delivery services,” said Councilman Mark Parmelee.
If the majority public sentiment voiced by residents at Thursday’s listening session of the Westfield Cannabis Commission is any indicator of what the town council will decide, the possibility of Westfield-based marijuana businesses could be snuffed out or severely limited.
The cannabis commission heard from a bevy of residents opposed to allowing legal marijuana operations in Westfield, even as other residents noted the potential tax revenue that could be gotten by allowing cannabis operations in town.
Some also equate the recent legalization of marijuana to alcohol, which has been legal in New Jersey and the United States since the repeal of Prohibition. While only 30 of NJ’s 566 municipalities prohibit the sale of alcohol, at least 70 municipalities took action prior to legalization to prohibit marijuana sales in their towns. Newly-enacted legalization provides local governments with an opt-out clause specifically for that purpose.
A 17-person town “Cannabis Commission” is tasked with taking a hard look at how Westfield should handle New Jersey’s recent legalization of marijuana.
Mayor Shelley Brindle this week announced the formation of the commission to address legalized weed, including the town’s decisions on marijuana dispensaries.
“The recent legalization of marijuana here in New Jersey will raise many questions for every community about if and how it plans to move forward with regard to dispensaries on the local level,” Brindle said at Tuesday’s town council meeting.
Submitted by njlegalizeme on Tue, 12/18/2018 - 12:35
The town may join a chorus of municipalities banning the sale of recreational marijuana, something that comes in advance of the state Legislature’s expected passage of legislation that would legalize recreational pot.
The state Legislature is anticipated to vote on the measure next month, at the earliest, something that gives Westfield some time to ponder if it wants to allow marijuana sales within its borders.