If New Jersey legalizes recreational marijuana any time soon, don’t bet on coming to Secaucus to score.
The mayor and Town Council introduced a zoning ordinance at their July 24 meeting that would ban the sale, growth, and distribution of recreational marijuana in town, blocking recreational marijuana dispensaries from opening. The town already has a medical marijuana dispensary, as medical cannabis has been legal in New Jersey since 2010.
Secaucus Mayor Michael Gonnelli said the ordinance anticipates legalization of recreational pot. The state introduced legislation in June, and Gov. Phil Murphy campaigned on legalizing marijuana, partly as a revenue measure.
Leslie Hoffman, a spokesperson for the Harmony Foundation medical dispensary on Meadowlands Parkway, declined to comment on the proposed ordinance. “We’re focused on medical marijuana,” she said. “We serve our patients.”
“Recreational marijuana, we have an issue with,” Gonnelli said. “We’re trying to get a jump on this before Murphy adopts it.”
The ordinance would prevent Harmony from ever selling their products recreationally, the council noted.