Should medical marijuana facilities be allowed in Newark? The ball is now in the municipal planning board's court.
On Tuesday, Mayor Ras Baraka announced that municipal officials are thinking about allowing medical marijuana dispensaries – known as Alternative Treatment Centers (ATCs) – to set up shop in the city.
Baraka said that his administration has proposed an ordinance to the City Council that would amend the zoning and land use regulation plan in order to authorize the location of cannabis dispensaries in specific areas. The council referred the draft ordinance to the planning board for review.
As part of the effort to find possible locations for the dispensaries, which would be permitted "in close proximity to other medical facilities and in light industrial areas," city officials have identified areas where medical cannabis can legally take place. These areas are known as "Green Zones"… pun possibly intended.