When it comes to marijuana, the borough council has taken up the anti-drug slogan “just say no.”
The council approved an amendment to its Land Development and Zoning ordinance this month that would ban the sale, distribution, cultivation, manufacture or dispensing of medical or recreational marijuana within the borders of the 0.9-square mile borough.
Adopting the amendment means that even if a Jamesburg-based business wanted to be considered for a medical marijuana dispensary, it would likely be denied since the borough code bans the practice.
As wrangling continues over a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in New Jersey, which proponents say could generate $80 million to $100 million in annual revenues, the New Jersey State League of Municipalities is warning mayors that time is of the essence to protect their towns against costs—and to reach for their slice of the pie.
Meanwhile, many Pascack Valley and Northern Valley municipalities have come out strongly against legalization and local sales.
Senate President Stephen Sweeney, D-3rd District, is marking Oct. 29 as the date he wants to hold a vote in both houses to legalize adult-use marijuana.
Sweeney, while speaking to a press gaggle following the Thursday senate session, said there are “just two issues” remaining with the bill, but declined to elaborate.
The proposed ordinance requires a second reading and vote to be adopted. Prior to a vote an ordinance is always open to comment from the public and the council members.
The next Sparta Township Council meeting is scheduled for October 9 at 7:30 p.m. at town hall.
"I was shocked and disappointed to read on the front cover of a local newspaper that I was accused by Mayor John Birkner of being involved in a partisan stunt with respect to the ordinance banning marijuana in Westwood.
"Clearly, the marijuana issue is not a partisan one, as both Republican- and Democrat-controlled towns have both banned marijuana and its sales in the confines of their communities.
More Marijuana (Cannabis) Ideas
Assemblyman John McKeon has an op-ed in the Star-Ledger on what he’d need to see to vote in favor of legal marijuana, and a lot of it has to do with “self-medicating” which is weird and seems to be about protecting the medical-marijuana industry. But there’s also some stuff about a “strong, independent New Jersey bank” which seems interesting. Do you know how much money we pay investment banks and law firms and financial advisors every time we do one of those bond issues?
Some proponents of legalization don’t see this as such a bad thing, however. As the bill’s timeline gets drawn out, so does the bill itself, with added features like expungement of records for low-level marijuana offenders and the leg up it would give small businesses who want to enter the cannabis space. Had there been no delays, social clubs wouldn’t be a possibility either.
New Jersey's top lawmaker has set a new date for at least one house of the state Legislature to vote legalizing recreational marijuana in the Garden State: Oct. 29.
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney said Thursday he "can't see us not voting" on that day.
Sweeney, D-Gloucester, said in August he expected the Legislature to vote by the end of September.
But that deadline is set to pass in days, and uncertainty has clouded the issue. A bill has yet to be introduced and no committee hearings have been scheduled.
For decades minorities have had marijuana in their neighborhoods. There is no shortage of weed in the hood. If one in the hood wants weed, there is weed. There really is a black-market of weed in minority neighborhoods, weed distribution systems that have been in place for decades. That said and done, now the state is proposing that the hood stop buying its weed in the hood and buy it from the state’s chosen few, none of which are us.