Manalapan Town Hall Meeting Set To Discuss Cannabis Legislation

MANALAPAN, NJ - An upcoming meeting of the Manalapan Township Committee is set to discuss cannabis legislation in New Jersey - and what its effects may look like in Manalapan.

The town hall-style meeting will take place outdoors at the Kuschick Pavilion in the Manalapan Recreation Center, 120 Route 522 at 7 p.m.

The informal setup of town hall meetings is used several times per year to get input from residents on important issues, Mayor Jack McNaboe told Patch, in hopes that residents, governing body members, administrators and attorneys will join in attendance.

The purpose of the meeting is discussion-only and no action is set to be taken at the meeting.

While there have not been many residents questions or concerns on this matter according to McNaboe, the town hall will serve as the first step into gauging public opinion on various issues surrounding the recent legislation passed in New Jersey. Read more: NJ Marijuana Updates: A First Step Toward Legal Weed Sales

"This is a community wide effort to see where residents thoughts are on the sales, warehousing, distribution, cultivation of cannabis within our borders," McNaboe said. "Manalapan parks are already smoke free. Of course, much cannabis is ingested, not smoked."

Any action will need to be taken by the Township Committee by July 2021. Why? 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 know that, regardless of what businesses can operate in town, it won't limit their ability to consume cannabis. 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

With reporting by Montana Samuels.