MIDDLETOWN — The Township Committee has signaled it will consider another try at prohibiting marijuana-related businesses from setting up shop in the township.
An early version of Monday’s Township Committee agenda included the introduction of “An Ordinance Prohibiting The Operation Of Any Class Of Cannabis Business Within The Township Of Middletown,” but the proposed ordinance was dropped, if only for the time being.
“The ordinance has not been fully reviewed yet by the Township Committee,” Township Administrator Anthony Mercantante explained in an email. “We will certainly be taking action on a Cannabis ordinance before the August deadline. I do not have specific dates just yet.”
The Committee took up the issue previously in 2018, more than two years before New Jersey voters — Middletown residents included — voted overwhelmingly to legalize the drug.
Earlier: Voters say ‘yes’ to pot in nearly every corner of NJ
Municipalities have until August to pass ordinances prohibiting marijuana businesses. Otherwise the new businesses can be grandfathered into existing retail and industrial zones.
Voters statewide approved legal marijuana in November, 67.1% to 32.9%. That split was only slightly narrower in Monmouth County at 65.6% to 34.4%.
Middletown was slightly less in favor than the rest of the county, with 64.81% of township voters opting to legalize.
Middletown took preliminary steps in February 2018 to ban cannabis-related businesses, introducing an ordinance to do so, but officials said at the time they intended to wait and see what statewide legalization would look like.
Alex N. Gecan: 732-547-1365; agecan@gannettnj.com; @GeeksterTweets
