Morristown Ponders Limited Welcome For Weed Dispensaries

MORRISTOWN, NJ — Morristown officials have approached the topic of cannabis businesses with caution. Town Council appears likely to temporarily prohibit such establishments, but officials have expressed openness to allowing medical and recreational dispensaries in a limited capacity.

Since New Jersey legalized adult use of recreational marijuana, some towns have moved to completely prohibit cannabis businesses. Others will adjust their zoning rules to limit such businesses and designate them to certain locations within town. Although nothing is definite, Morristown is looking into the latter route, Council President Stefan Armington told Patch.

"We are in the process of establishing zoning a licensing legislation

for both recreational and medical, presumably combined in one
dispensary," Armington said.

Officials haven't decided on a general location.

What's at Stake

Gov. Phil Murphy signed three bills into law Feb. 22 to legalize recreational weed for adults 21 and older. Cities and towns have until Aug. 22 to pass rules banning such businesses if they choose to.

But towns that miss the deadline wouldn't be able to pass a similar ban until five years later, and businesses established during that time would get grandfathered in even if a towns implements such a ban in the future.

Town Council will vote Tuesday on an ordinance to temporarily prohibit cannabis businesses. The temporary ban will allow the council to form its cannabis committee and complete its study of medical and recreational weed.

The temporary ban will prevent "rogue applications" from businesses before the council adopts permanent legislation, Armington says.

The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday. Here's info on how to access the meeting remotely.

Advocates for Cannabis

Advocates for medical cannabis spoke at April 13's Town Council meeting to encourage officials to welcome a dispensary into town. Speakers included activists, union leaders and patients who use medical marijuana.

New Jersey currently has 13 medical dispensaries. None are in Morris County, and the closest to Morristown is in Montclair.

Hugh Giordano — a representative for Union Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 152 — previously advocated for New Jersey to legalize recreational marijuana. He said that Morristown should welcome the jobs that dispensaries bring.

"The UFCW opposes a ban," Giordano said. "A ban hurts working-class people. It hurts jobs. These jobs come with good salaries, good wages, health care, dental, vision, paternity leave and retirement. These are good, unionized jobs."

Edward "Lefty" Grimes, who spoke at the meeting, advocates for cannabis patients and people in wheelchairs through nonprofit Sativa Cross. To get his medical-cannabis card in 2013, he needed to meet with a doctor four times. Each appointment cost $400, he said.

Once he qualified for medical cannabis, he couldn't get an appointment at the nearest dispensary in Montclair — 40 minutes from his East Hanover home.

"I actually laid down in front of the door one day until they opened the door for me," Grimes told Patch.

Grimes told Morristown officials that many throughout New Jersey face similar challenges in accessing medical cannabis. Throughout the Garden State, he finds potential patients getting priced out or unable to access the care they need.

"Our medicine is moldy," Grimes said at April 13's meeting. "We’re buying overpriced, moldy medicine now. That’s what we’re stuck with, and you wonder why patients are going to the black market."

Grimes said town officials seemed open to a discussion about his concerns. Throughout New Jersey, he says he's not seeing the same.

Sixty-seven percent in New Jersey voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana for people 21 and older. Support for medical legalization typically polls higher.

Grimes believes some towns are too quick to prohibit cannabis businesses and don't take enough input from their residents.

"They’re on season 1, episode 3," Grimes said of politicians on the issue of cannabis. "The rest of us are on season 9, episode 10."

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