Forms of business that involve cannabis could be allowed in Newton, if the Town Council approves new zoning regulations that would keep such businesses away from residential areas and schools.
The council was presented with a draft ordinance Monday that would have allowed all forms of cannabis businesses, from growing to packaging to sales and delivery, to be allowed on Water and Mill streets and in the T-4 and T-5 zones.
Adult-use marijuana may have been legalized in New Jersey, but local zoning bans are just one of the obstacles business owners are facing as they try to enter the market. And some are concerned that Black-owned businesses will be shut out of the industry.
City officials have taken the first step toward possibly allowing marijuana sales by calling for a study of exactly where zoning would allow a dispensary.
This week, the council voted to authorize the city manager to look into what areas in the city would abide by the state’s guidelines regarding dispensary locations.
Councilman Joseph Delaney said council members felt it was important to look into the possibility, because the tax incentives would benefit the city.
In response to the Jake Honig Compassionate Use Medical Cannabis (Marijuana) Act, which was signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy in July 2019, the West Orange Township Council and West Orange Board of Education recently collaborated on a special meeting to discuss the legislation and possible changes to West Orange’s zoning.
Last week, West Orange councilwoman Cindy Matute-Brown said the town must amend its zoning ordinance to allow for medical marijuana dispensaries under the new state law.
A town hall discussion on the issue will take place at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25 at the West Orange High School cafeteria at 51 Conforti Avenue.
Panelists at the public event will include local municipal officials, cannabis industry professionals and a representative from the ACLU.
The agenda for Aug. 27 includes a work session on marijuana legalization and zoning.
The Bernards Committee last held a public discussion on evolving marijuana laws in July, accepting public comments during the meeting.
While the legalization of recreational marijuana use is on hold in New Jersey, the state already is making an effort to establish additional medical marijuana dispensaries throughout New Jersey.
The committee's special meeting, held Wednesday, was supposed to only feature a presentation by LivWell New Jersey for a medical marijuana facility with a standalone dispensary.
Three other companies heard about the meeting and made presentations to the committee during the general public discussion portion of the meeting.
The township is already host to one approved medical marijuana facility, Compassionate Care, near Delilah Road.
On May 1, 2019, the City of Newark Municipal Council adopted Ordinance 18-1970 (the "Ordinance") by a 7-0 vote amending several sections of the City’s Land Development Ordinance to permit as conditional uses medical marijuana alternative treatment centers, medical marijuana cultivation facilities, medical marijuana manufacturing facilities, and medical marijuana safety compliance facilities (collectively, the “Medical Marijuana Uses”) in specified zoning districts within the City. The majority of the public who attended the hearing were in support of the amendment. Hon.
The latest hurdle in the cannabis industry is one of growth. As New Jersey works to legalize the recreational market in the coming months, state officials are estimating that nearly 100 cultivation sites will be needed to grow and supply The Garden State with cannabis. This estimate gets bigger when one considers the boom in the state’s medical marijuana market should adult-use be legalized by the end of May.
Avalon is amending its zoning code to “reaffirm that the sale of marijuana is a prohibited use within all zoning districts in the borough.” The move comes as the state continues to inch forward on legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana sales.