Lambertville Cannabis Ordinance Passes In Council Meeting

LAMBERTVILLE, NJ — Lambertville’s new cannabis ordinance was referred to the city's planning board Wednesday, after passing in Tuesday’s mayor and council meeting.

The town had expected to temporarily ban recreational cannabis prior to a statewide Aug. 21 deadline, at which point state law allowing all 6 types of cannabis businesses would override any local ordinances that had not been updated.

This approach, giving towns more time to work through their specific cannabis legislation, has been popular. However, after backlash at the May 20 mayor and council meeting, the council re-thought their ordinances and a cannabis working group held forums in June, offering residents the chance to voice their preferences for Lambertville.

New Jersey allows for six different types of cannabis businesses; Lambertville’s ordinance will permit only one, the Class 5 cannabis retailer. The town will allow four retailers through the ordinance, two of which must be microbusinesses due to concerns around corporate dominance in the area.

In section 7 of the ordinance, the city delineates specific requirements for these retailers. Businesses must be at least 500 feet from a school and at least 600 feet from another cannabis retailer, among other specifications. Cannabis retailers may not operate within a single-family dwelling.

Sales will be limited to no more than 6 ounces of cannabis per customer. The city is also imposing a Cannabis Transfer Tax of 2 percent — the highest possible — and a Cannabis User Tax of 2 percent.

The new ordinance does not allow any public consumption of cannabis. Mayor Julia Fahl specified that this, and other matters relating to cannabis in Lambertville, can be revisited; for now, the goal is to meet the August deadline for city cannabis retailers.

After review by the planning board, the ordinance’s second reading, public hearing, and final vote is scheduled for July 22.

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