As of last week, more than a dozen companies have expressed interest in opening a cannabis business in West Orange since 2020 – including several retail dispensaries. But which ones ultimately nail down the last of the town's coveted four licenses remains to be seen.
After New Jersey finally rolled out the legal framework for legal weed, towns and cities were given until August 2021 to pass a law prohibiting cannabis businesses within their borders. Acting a month before the deadline – like several other municipalities in Essex County – the West Orange Town Council approved a local ordinance that permits and regulates marijuana businesses.
See the original ordinance here, and the revised version here.
West Orange’s local law allows for a combined total of four active local licenses, regardless of their type. A local license for a targeted “microbusiness” – as defined by the state – doesn’t count towards this maximum number, as written in the ordinance.