Cannabis businesses will be allowed to operate in town under new regulations approved at Tuesday's Board of Aldermen meeting.
The 15-page ordinance, approved unanimously, establishes zoning codes and licensing requirements for recreational marijuana dispensaries. It also sets up an application process to open a dispensary in town.
"A lot of people had input into this ordinance," said Alderman Eddie Correa. "We believe [this] is a thorough, very comprehensive piece of legislation. We believe it includes a lot of components for the applicants and has always put our community first."
Voters last year made New Jersey the 13th state to legalize marijuana for recreational use, and Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation in February that allows individual towns to regulate the business within their borders.
The ordinance changes the town zoning code to allow for recreational and medical dispensaries. Officials will only award two licenses at a time, but they place no limits on the number of licenses awarded to micro cannabis businesses. According to the ordinance, micro cannabis businesses must be 2,500 square feet and have a maximum of 10 employees.