Borough Council members have adopted an ordinance that prohibits all cannabis businesses from operating in Keyport by amending the municipal code to establish cannabis businesses as prohibited uses in all zoning districts.
The ordinance states that municipal officials intend to lift the prohibition when they receive regulatory guidance from the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission that they deem adequate.
The Borough Council’s action follows the enactment of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act, also known as A-21, which was passed by state legislators in February after a majority of New Jersey residents voted in November 2020 to approve a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana.
The legislation legalizes the recreational use (also known as adult use) of marijuana by certain adults; it decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of marijuana and hashish (a marijuana concentrate); and it removes marijuana as a Schedule I (high potential for abuse) drug.