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.
The recreational use of marijuana in New Jersey could soon be legalized, and while Camden Mayor Frank Moran doesn’t care if residents decide to toke up or not, he does care if its sold in his city.
In an interview with TAPinto Camden on Tuesday, Moran said that he is not in favor of the sale of the drug for recreational use in a city where the illegal drug trade has, as the mayor described, “literally wreaked havoc” for decades.
Lyndhurst has joined the municipalities in New Jersey that have banned any type of marijuana dispensary.
"We are very pleased to have this ordinance," township police Detective Vincent Auteri said. "For our township to allow marijuana dispensaries would be counterintuitive to all the drug awareness and substance abuse programs we provide.
"The Mayor and Board of Commissioners, with guidance from the Lyndhurst Municipal Alliance, is sending the right message, which is that our community is focusing on health and safety and not money," Auteri said.
Opponents of marijuana are primarily concerned with stoned driving and people under 21 obtaining easier access to pot. But another concern among officials is a fear that marijuana dispensaries will attract unwanted visitors to their town.
“Woodcliff Lake is a quaint little town, and it's not a place for dispensaries to open up,” said Mayor Carlos Rendo. He fears dispensaries will put a strain on social services and increase rates of homelessness, though he acknowledged that homelessness is not an issue in Woodcliff Lake currently.
The town may join a chorus of municipalities banning the sale of recreational marijuana, something that comes in advance of the state Legislature’s expected passage of legislation that would legalize recreational pot.
The state Legislature is anticipated to vote on the measure next month, at the earliest, something that gives Westfield some time to ponder if it wants to allow marijuana sales within its borders.
Murphy said there will be several pieces to the legislation, including expansion of the medical marijuana program. The "biggest mountain to climb," he said, will be legalizing the drug for recreational use.
Just don't expect pot to be sold in stores right away. The regulatory and licensing process could take another six months after the legislation is passed, health officials say. That schedule could move a lot more quickly if medical marijuana dispensaries are allowed to meet the demand.
New Jersey has never been closer to legal weed, after lawmakers late last month took the first step toward legalization by advancing the bill to the full Legislature.
But even with that progress on the state level, dozens of towns have never been farther from having legal weed. As has been happening all year, towns continue to take steps to ban legal weed businesses from operating within their borders.
The number of towns with some sort of ban or opposition of marijuana is now at least 50, nearly 10 percent of all the towns in the state.
Members of the Chester Township Council vote on an ordinance prohibiting growing, processing or selling marijuana within the Township during their meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 20.
New Jersey lawmakers are slated to hold their first votes on long-awaited legislation to legalize and regulate the sale of marijuana for adult recreational use next week, but already at least one Burlington County town is moving to ban such pot businesses from locating within its borders.
Phillipsburg: The town council unanimously passed two measures Nov. 7.
The first was a resolution of support for the expanded implementation of medical marijuana in New Jersey and then an ordinance to allow for Alternative Treatment Centers in the town.
Englishtown: At a recent meeting of the Borough Council, members said they were opposed to recreational marijuana but would support the use and distribution of medical marijuana under controlled circumstances.