Uncertainty fueled increased opposition to permitting cannabis businesses in Somers Point, but City Council voted 5-2 to take another step toward that goal July 27.
Before the vote, solicitor Tom Smith added language to the ordinance recommending the city issue no more conditional approvals than the number of licenses it wishes to issue, raising questions about whether the city would ultimately be able to choose who receives a license.
Councilman Howard Dill joined Councilman Sean McGuigan in voting against introduction of ordinance 19-2023, which would allow for a cannabis retailer and distributor to open in the city and designates where they could operate and other details.
Dill long has questioned the revenue projections — less than $400,000 annually based on an economist’s study — and whether the state would continue providing the tax or keep it for its own budget.
“What are we really gaining other than putting a cannabis store in town and hope that we get the revenue?” Dill said. “I’ve said it before and I will say it again: I don’t trust the state that they are going to give us that 2 percent.”