In the November 2020 general election, about 70% of North Brunswick residents voted in favor of legalizing marijuana.
“This is a serious decision, like alcohol, which most of us probably would prefer not to have around, but at the same token it could be something to generate money,” Mayor Francis “Mac” Womack said during a special town hall meeting, held virtually on June 10.
Township Attorney Ronald Gordon explained that township officials can decide if they will issue any of the six licenses, the number of licenses and where the licensees would be permitted to operate.
The licenses include cultivation, which is the growing of the plants; manufacturing, which is the manufacturing, preparing and packaging of items; wholesale, which is obtaining and selling for resale by a licensed entity; distribution, which is transporting plants in bulk from a licensed cultivator to a licensed resaler; retailer, which is selling cannabis-related items to the consumer; and delivery, which is a courier service that picks up from a cultivator and delivers to the end user.
North Brunswick officials cannot prohibit the delivery of cannabis products to consumers in town from delivery businesses that are based in other municipalities, as per state legislation.
Officials can decide to opt in or opt out of any or all of the licenses by Aug. 21, or the state will allow all licenses to be permitted for the next five years, as per the legislation.