At their Monday night meeting, the Middletown Township Committee unanimously voted to prohibit recreational marijuana businesses from opening within Middletown limits.
Holmdel and Aberdeen are in the process of passing similar bans, and even Asbury Park (run by a Democratic mayor and all-Democrat Council) passed a ban on pot shops, saying they haven't been able to come up with "thoughtful marijuana zoning regulations."
The Township Committee has signaled it will consider another try at prohibiting marijuana-related businesses from setting up shop in the township.
An early version of Monday's Township Committee agenda included the introduction of "An Ordinance Prohibiting The Operation Of Any Class Of Cannabis Business Within The Township Of Middletown," but the proposed ordinance was dropped, if only for the time being.
Jeana Sager, the candidate running for a seat on the Middletown Township Committee has now released a statement explaining — and defending — controversial comments she made back in June, where she was caught on video saying "To me, a lot of police are criminals."
In the videotaped conversation, which you can watch below, Sager also voice support for needle exchanges and decriminalizing drug use.
In the video, Sager identifies herself and says she is running for Middletown Twp. Committee. She also tells the pot proponents she has to be careful what she says because Middletown is an "extremely, extremely red" area. She tells a reporter in the group that the entire conversation is off the record. They discuss marijuana and she says she supports needle exchanges; she also says she doesn't want to stigmatize drug users, or criminalize drug use.