Township officials formally banned the sale or production of marijuana in the community Thursday evening with a unanimous vote on legislation that flies in the face of the recent legalization of recreational cannabis statewide.
Months after most of New Jersey overwhelmingly voted to legalize recreational marijuana, the township is snuffing out any plans to have it sold or produced locally.
The Township Committee voted initially on March 18 to ban any such sales through an ordinance that faced a public hearing and final vote on Thursday. The committee repeated the unanimous vote without discussion and absent any public comment.
The ban is not a surprise given that the state referendum approved in November lost badly in Lakewood, with 69% of voters here opposing it and just 31% casting favorable ballots.