COVID, Vaccines, Weed And What To Expect In Bergen County’s 2021

BERGEN COUNTY — The coronavirus pandemic shifted the landscape of the world in 2020, and “regular life” will continue to be put on hold until vaccines are widely administered in 2021.

Certainly, there’s more that happened in the state in 2020, but there’s no bigger story in 2021 thus far than when, where and how residents can receive their vaccines.

However, there are other things to consider ahead of another uncertain year.

When will marijuana, passed by voters in November, be officially legal, and when can residents open their businesses or make purchases from them?

Oh yeah, and there were those elections. In addition to marijuana, voters also chose some decision makers in their town. Who are they?

At Patch, we’re taking a look ahead into 2021 this week. How could that go wrong?

COVID-19, Vaccines and “Back to Normal”

In Bergen County, over 2,000 people have died from the coronavirus as of the final day of the year at 10 a.m.

It was a year in many ways filled with illness and death across the state, but there is hope on the horizon as vaccines have begun for healthcare personnel in the 1A vaccination category.

Vaccines have also begun in the state at long-term care facilities, which have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. They’ve also been at the Paramus Veterans Home, which was forced to deal not only with an outbreak that shook the state, but was also riddled with incompetence and negligence, leading eventually to a shake-up in leadership.

READ MORE: COVID-19 Vaccinations Begin At NJ Veterans Memorial Homes

Though the state and the county have announced plans of where vaccination sites will be located — with a state megasite at The Meadowlands and county site and Bergen New Bridge — it’s still unclear when those doses will be available to residents enmasse.

The six megasites are slated to open in early January, and there will be more than 200 community COVID vaccine sites across New Jersey; 134 of those sites will be getting the vaccine this week, State Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli announced.

So, as far as we know, back to normal is still a ways off, but it’s closer than it’s been at any point in 2020.

READ MORE: Here's Who May Get COVID Vaccine Next, And Where, In NJ
READ MORE: Bergen New Bridge Begins Long-Term Care Vaccinations

Marijuana, it’s legal?

Well, sort of.

Voters in the state overwhelmingly supported a measure legalizing marijuana during the General Election, but state lawmakers have hit a few roadblocks on the way to legislation that would formally legalize it.

After much debate about where tax dollars would go, social justice, cannabis facilities and when and where marijuana can be sold, state lawmakers passed a marijuana legalization bill on Dec. 17.

But they hit another roadblock on Monday Gov. Phil Murphy voiced objections to certain parts of the legislation.

Murphy, speaking during a Monday news conference, said there are some "technical, but important things we're trying to wrinkle out" on the legislation.

His specific gripes with the legislation as it currently stands can be read here: NJ Marijuana Legalization Bill Is Delayed

What we know in regard to the local level is municipalities will have the ability to decide whether cannabis businesses are allowed in their communities.

Here’s what else will likely be included:

• A cap on the number of cannabis facilities at 37 for the first 24 months after enactment of the legislation
• Municipalities can prohibit marijuana businesses in their communities, but those that choose to allow them could collect a 2 percent tax and retain the revenue.
• There will be business incentives for minorities, women and disabled veterans to help them participate in the industry

READ MORE: NJ Lawmakers Pass Marijuana Legalization Bill
READ MORE: NJ Marijuana Arrests Could End Soon As Legalization Moves Forward
READ MORE: NJ Legalizes Recreational Marijuana: AP | Montclair, NJ Patch

Here’s what else to keep an eye on as we roll into 2021:

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