—Are other Shore towns OK with weed?
Technically, no. Or at least, no other Shore town has a legal cannabis dispensary — medicinal or adult-use. Each of the more than 500 New Jersey municipalities is allowed to opt in or out of cannabis businesses operating in their town. Most towns south of Atlantic City have opted out of adult-use cannabis.
Some towns have gone a further step by implementing their own ban on consuming cannabis products in public or cannabis businesses from operating entirely, including Cape May, Ocean City, Sea Isle City, Wildwood Crest, and Seaside Heights.
According to New Jersey cannabis attorney, advocate, and educator Chirali Patel the Jersey Shore is most likely concerned about the “family-friendly” culture of its towns.
“We’re still living in this very real stigma and they’re not embracing it,” said Patel, who has worked on expunging the records of and helping to obtain cannabis business licenses for people convicted of marijuana-related offenses. “What I’ve been reading and seeing in my experience is that a lot of these towns, especially the Shore towns, promote this image of family-friendly beaches.”