Middletown may not be a community that embraces recreational marijuana.
The Middletown Township Committee recently discussed the potential introduction of an ordinance that would oppose legalizing recreational marijuana.
“My perspective is that I know we have not seen final legislation for Trenton. The proposed legislation I believe does not benefit the municipalities in terms of potential revenue or what it is going to cost us in terms of offset. So I would like to see, with the committee’s approval, an introduction of an ordinance that restricts recreational sale in Middletown,” Committeeman Anthony Fiore said.
The committee discussed the possibility of this act during its workshop meeting that was held earlier this month.
Fiore said that he believed that the legalization of recreational marijuana use will not be a financial benefit the township.
“I believe the introduction of an ordinance puts us in the driver’s seat to pass an ordinance and be in front of the state, unless I am completely reading this wrong, which then gives us the right to protection as to if we want to allow this at a later time or not,” Fiore said. “I think if the state makes the rule first and we try to zone, it’s not going to be hard for the courts of the state of New Jersey, as they always do, to legislate from the bench and say ‘Middletown you can’t do that now.’ I just don’t trust the process.”
Township Administrator Anthony Mercantante said that if the committee chooses to introduce an ordinance, it would have to address the growing, processing and retail sale components of recreational marijuana use.
“There’s three steps: growing; you take the product and process it into something that can be purchased; and then there is the retail end of it. So I think that if you are going to introduce an ordinance, I would address all three in the ordinance just so you got all the bases covered,” Mercantante said.
Township Attorney Brian Nelson said that if the committee does decide to introduce an ordinance in the future, it would have to be introduced as a zoning ordinance.
Other towns have passed resolutions stating their position on the legalization of the sale of recreational marijuana in their town, according to Nelson.
“Introducing an ordinance preserves the township’s right to make an informed decision before legislation is forced upon the municipality,” Mayor Stephanie Murray said.
For more information visit www.middletownnj.org/AgendaCenter.
Contact Vashti Harris at vharris@newspapermediagroup.com.
