Manalapan Sets Public Hearing For Ordinance Banning Pot Retail

MANALAPAN, NJ - While pot may be legal in the state of New Jersey, township officials in Manalapan are seeking to ban all cannabis-related businesses in the municipality.

A proposed township committee ordinance aimed at prohibiting all cannabis businesses - including retailers, distributors, delivery services, wholesalers, cultivators and manufacturers - in the township has a public hearing set for July 14.

The public hearing will be at the Manalapan Municipal Complex (120 Route 522 and Taylors Mill Road) at 7:30 p.m. Members of the public may comment on the proposed ordinance.

“Due to present uncertainties regarding the potential future impacts that allowing one or more classes of cannabis business might have on New Jersey municipalities in general, and on the Manalapan in particular, it is at this time necessary and appropriate, and in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the township and its residents, to amend the township’s zoning regulations to prohibit all manner of marijuana-related land use and development within the geographic boundaries of the township,” the ordinance reads, per Central Jersey.

While New Jersey voters opted to approve legalization of marijuana during the November 2020 general election 67.1 percent to 32.9 percent, local municipalities can still ban pot businesses from selling or cultivating in town. In Monmouth County, the vote breaks down to an even-closer 65.6 percent to 34.4 percent.

Several other municipalities in Monmouth County are considering pot’s role in town, including Holmdel and Marlboro. Freehold and Colts Neck have already taken steps to have an outright ban on pot retailers, manufacturers and cultivators within town limits.

Any action will need to be taken quickly by New Jersey towns, as the exact deadline to pass an ordinance banning or limiting the number of cannabis establishments and establishing civil penalties for violation of ordinances is Aug. 21, according to the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. Related: Marijuana Is Legal In NJ. But Can Towns Still Ban It?

Manalapan residents should also know that, regardless of what businesses can operate in town, it won't limit their ability to consume cannabis or get cannabis delivered from an outside service. Adults 21 and over are allowed to consume cannabis on private property. Cannabis has also been decriminalized in New Jersey, and you can possess up to six ounces of marijuana or 17 grams of hashish without penalty. Read more: 5 Things You Need To Know About Marijuana Legalization In NJ