The Township of Washington Township passed an ordinance in June prohibiting retail cannabis sales. It plans to vote, Aug. 9, on a measure that prohibits all six classes of cannabis licenses. If this passes, the township would be the last in the Pascack Valley to opt out altogether — though elected leaders valleywide are watching to see how the issue shakes out
Under new laws signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in February, adult use or possession of up to 6 ounces of marijuana (or 17 grams of hashish) is no longer a crime, as long as it’s a state-licensed retailer and grower.
Separate from this, there are 20 licensed medical marijuana dispensaries statewide, with another 24 pending approval by the CRC.
As Business Insider noted this month, “Recreational marijuana is legal for adults in 18 states and Washington, D.C. Medical marijuana is legal in 37 … meaning a majority of Americans have access to cannabis, whether medically or recreationally.”
Pascack Press reached out to the mayors of Emerson, Hillsdale, Montvale, Park Ridge, River Vale, Township of Washington, Westwood, and Woodcliff Lake for their views on the future of the recreational industry here.
Only Hillsdale Mayor John Ruocco replied: “Declining to opt in now to any licenses gives us more time to assess how municipalities who do opt-in fare. Optionality is a valued commodity in this case.”
He added, “The potential for additional revenue through taxation is a sweetener; whether it becomes a primary motive to grant licenses remains to be seen.”