As of August 2019, there were more than 60 local ordinances banning either all marijuana sales and growth, or just recreational forms of the drug.
For many, the issue has been a polarizing one.
In Somerset County, a proposed ordinance in North Plainfield to ban recreational and medical marijuana retail stores and facilities was tabled at a Dec. 2018 meeting, according to the clerk's office.
Tucked in a small commercial mall in an industrial area of Secaucus, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from Manhattan, sits Harmony Dispensary. Behind its unassuming storefront, Harmony prides itself as having an especially high standard among the Garden State’s medical marijuana cannabis outlets. While dispensary customers don’t get to see it, all of the cannabis for sale at Harmony is grown on the premises, in a unique and state-of-the-art hydroponic operation.
Whether Gov. Phil Murphy makes good on his promise to have the state legislature legalize recreational marijuana, it won’t matter much in Secaucus. The mayor and Town Council adopted a zoning ordinance at their Sept. 11 meeting to ban anyone from growing, processing, distributing, or selling recreational marijuana in town.
Originally up for a final vote at the Aug. 29 council, meeting, the council was forced to delay the matter because the county’s planning board had not reviewed the ordinance in time.
Secaucus is home to the newest NJMMP Alternative Treatment Center Harmony Foundation which opened just a few months ago. Interesting local developments as the town council as proposed banning potential future Recreational Sales.
Submitted by njlegalizeme on Sun, 09/09/2018 - 21:29
The ordinance would amend the town’s zoning code to prohibit selling, growing, and distributing recreational marijuana. It would not impact medical marijuana, legal in the state since 2010, nor would it impede on recreational marijuana use, should the New Jersey state legislature legalize it. Secaucus currently has one medical marijuana dispensary.
If New Jersey legalizes recreational marijuana any time soon, don’t bet on coming to Secaucus to score.
The mayor and Town Council introduced a zoning ordinance at their July 24 meeting that would ban the sale, growth, and distribution of recreational marijuana in town, blocking recreational marijuana dispensaries from opening. The town already has a medical marijuana dispensary, as medical cannabis has been legal in New Jersey since 2010.
The zoning ordinance mainly prohibits a retail business that would seek to open in Secaucus and sell recreational pot and paraphernalia, should recreational marijuana become legal in the state, explained Ken Porro, the town's general counsel. Any such business would have to first seek a variance from the Town Council to open, a variance they likely would not get.
Welcome to Harmony Dispensary, the latest facility to offer medical marijuana in New Jersey.
CBS2’s Meg Baker took an exclusive tour Friday in Secaucus.
CEO Shaya Brodchandel has a pharmaceutical background. He brought Baker behind-the-scenes into the flowering room, where they suited up in sterile white jumpsuits and sunglasses to protect their eyes from the lights that act as the sun during the growing process.
New Jersey’s Restrictive Medical Marijuana Program
Medical marijuana came to New Jersey in 2009 while notoriously anti-weed Governor Chris Christie assumed office. While governor, Christie called medical marijuana “a front for legalization” on radio show New Jersey 101.5.
“I am not going to allow de-facto legalization of marijuana in this state or regular legalization of marijuana in this state by statute. It’s not going to happen on my watch,” he added.