The Township Committee plans to introduce an ordinance to prohibit the sale of recreational marijuana within the township.
The proposed bill, which could be introduced as soon as the next committee meeting on Thursday, March 14, would also prohibit the cultivation of cannabis plants in Warren.
Township Attorney Jeffrey Lehrer discussed the issue with the committee at a meeting on Thursday, Feb. 28, as state lawmakers push to legalize the drug.
In Lehrer’s legal opinion, while the township could implement regulations on the issuance of medical marijuana, it could not ban medical marijuana dispensaries outright.
State statute allows towns to “limit” the number of medical marijuana facilities within their borders, but Lehrer said some towns have interpreted the law to mean they can prohibit the dispensaries altogether. Lehrer said he does not agree with that interpretation.