WESTFIELD, NJ — The town council is poised to introduce Tuesday a measure that would ban “any class of cannabis business” within the municipality.
The proposed ban on marijuana sales and production within the town follows a statewide referendum last November in which voters, including 69.7% of Westfield residents who voted, decided to legalize recreational marijuana. Statewide, 67% of voters approved legal weed.
Municipalities, however, have been given to the option to prohibit or limit cannabis establishments within their borders, and Westfield had formed a 17-member commission to take public input and decide on the topic. Towns have until Aug. 21 to decide on limits. Taking no action means such operations would become legal.
“I wasn’t going to be presumptive to think that we could unilaterally make a decision without hearing from everybody in the community,” said Mayor Shelley Brindle in a phone interview Sunday. “And that means everybody: health officials, safety officials, justice officials.”
Under state law, if Westfield were to allow cannabis operations in the town it would have to commit to allowing those establishments for five years. However, it can opt into allowing such a business at any time, the law stipulates.
Brindle had appointed Councilman Mark Parmelee and Michael Dardia to head up Westfield’s Cannabis Commission charged with deciding on legal marijuana. Dardia told TAPinto Westfield that he and Parmelee anticipate releasing a joint statement Monday on the commission’s recommendation to the council.
At a listening session of the Cannabis Commission May 13, about 12 residents had spoken against allowing marijuana establishments in the town, three favored opting in, several appeared undecided, and one person proposed limiting the places within Westfield in which such operations might be permitted to operate.
Residents to oppose allowing cannabis business in town cited Westfield’s nature as a family-friendly town and concerns about public safety. Proponents of allowing pot business, however, cited the tax revenue such businesses could bring to the municipality and pointed to other municipalities allowing cannabis operations.
State law allows municipalities to levy a tax of up to 2% for cannabis cultivator, manufacturer and/or retailer; and 1% for wholesalers.
In Plainfield, the municipality is taking public input on the topic of allowing cannabis business via a survey. Nearby Scotch Plains has already approved two medical marijuana dispensaries, and Somerville has taken initial steps toward allowing marijuana shops in its downtown. Other municipalities, such as Roxbury and South Brunswick, however, have moved to ban marijuana sales and other cannabis operations.
In Westfield, the decision on cannabis comes during an election year, and Republican candidates for the town council early in their campaigns seized on the topic.
“The time is not right for pot shops downtown, walking distance from our childrens’ schools,” said JoAnn Neylan, a former councilmember and Republican candidate for mayor in a statement Sunday. “Thank you to the community for coming together in a respectful and intelligent way. I am proud that we were so organized in voicing our concerns.”
What’s next?
The town council meets Tuesday, May 25, in conference session at 7 p.m. via Zoom. The legislative session will be held at 8 p.m. People who plan to speak during the public comment portion of the meeting must connect to the meeting via Zoom.
Click here to view the agenda, which was posted by the town Sunday.
You can connect to the Zoom meeting using the following link: https://bit.ly/2021WestfieldTownCouncilMeeting.
You can view a live stream of the meeting on Facebook Live.
Dial In Information:
Phone #: 646-518-9805
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Email Matt Kadosh at mkadosh@tapinto.net | Twitter: @MattKadosh
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