Cannabis Businesses Could Be Banned In Chester Borough

CHESTER, NJ — In both Chester Borough and Township on Tuesday night beginning at 7 p.m., each has the cannabis business topic on its agenda, with the borough planning to hold its public hearing to adopt a prohibition ordinance, while the township hosts an expert discuss during its session, on the topic of cannabis businesses.

Chester Borough, which presently meets virtually, introduced its ordinance on May 18, not allowing any type of cannabis business operation in the borough.

Click here for details to attend the borough's meeting on Tuesday night.

The currently pending ordinance 2021-10 states that the borough’s mayor and council determined that one or more types of cannabis businesses could impact the community and “it is at this time deemed necessary and appropriate and in the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of Chester Borough’s residents and members of the public who visit, travel or conduct business in Chester Borough, to amend the borough’s regulations to prohibit all manner of cannabis/marijuana-related business related activities within the geographic boundaries of Chester Borough.”

The ordinance however, clarified that though cannabis establishments, distributors and delivery services are not allowed to operate in the borough, cannabis items and supplies may be delivered via a licensed cannabis delivery business from outside of the borough, to borough residents.

Chester Township, which held its public hearing and adopted its prohibition ordinance 2021-09 on June 1, is scheduled to hold its meeting on Tuesday night in-person at Town Hall, with a presentation from experts on the topic of cannabis businesses.

The Township’s ordinance indicated that it was urged by both the New Jersey League of Municipalities and New Jersey Institute of Local Government Attorneys to prohibit cannabis business operations at the present time “due to the complexity and novelty” of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance and Marketplace Modernization Act, until the zoning was better understood “in order to ensure sufficient time to carefully review all aspects of the Act and its impacts.”

The township’s prohibition ordinance passed 4 to 1 on June 1, after it had been tabled on May 18 by a 3-2 vote.

Chester Township Mayor Marcia Asdal told Patch the meeting on June 15 would have experts attend, with an attorney and potentially Police Chief Thomas Williver, to discuss perspectives, including police-related ones.

“We will be hearing from some experts at the next council meeting so we can all - council and public - begin to understand the nuances of the cannabis law before we chart a path forward,” Asdal said.

In May, Asdal and Chester Borough Mayor Janet Hoven each spoke to Patch, stating municipalities needed to have either a prohibition ordinance or ones permitting cannabis businesses on the books by Aug. 22, though both mayors expressed municipalities had received little information about marijuana business operations from the State of New Jersey.

Questions or comments about this story? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.