Towns that have already said no
Berkeley
- County: Ocean County
- Population: 41,554
- Date passed: Jan. 22, 2018
Cranbury
- County: Middlesex County
- Population: 3,803
- Date passed: March 12, 2018
Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media
Garfield
- County: Bergen County
- Population: 31,456
- Date passed: Feb. 27, 2018
Hasbrouck Heights
- County: Bergen County
- Population: 12,124
- Date passed: Feb. 13, 2018
Hazlet
- County: Monmouth County
- Population: 20,108
- Date passed: Feb. 20, 2018
North Caldwell
- County: Essex County
- Population: 6,519
- Date passed: Feb. 27, 2018
Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media
Old Bridge
- County: Middlesex County
- Population: 66,573
- Date passed: The ordinance passed a first reading March 19, but still needs to pass a second reading before it is approved.
Point Pleasant Beach
- County: Ocean County
- Population: 4,594
- Date passed: Dec. 19, 2017
Spotswood
- County: Middlesex County
- Population: 8,418
- Date passed: Feb. 21, 2018. Spotswood’s resolution doesn’t outright ban marijuana businesses from the borough, but strongly opposes marijuana legalization.
Wall
- County: Monmouth County
- Population: 26,000
- Date passed: Feb. 28, 2018
Marijuana legalization questionable for most New Jerseyans
Towns that might say no
Some towns in New Jersey have discussed banning marijuana, but haven’t yet taken a final vote, while others have decided to wait and see what happens at the state level. See below for where these towns stand.
Chatham Township
- County: Morris County
- Population: 10,528
- Status: A ban has been introduced to the council and a final vote is expected on April 12.
Hawthorne
- County: Passaic County
- Population: 18,950
- Status: A vote was scheduled for Wednesday, but was moved to March 28 because of the weather.
Middletown
- County: Monmouth County
- Population: 65,995
- Status: An ordinance banning marijuana has been introduced, but it has not been scheduled for a final vote.
Oceanport
- County: Monmouth County
- Population: 5,763
- Status: An ordinance banning marijuana sales has been introduced, but has not been approved.
Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media
Parsippany-Troy Hills
- County: Morris County
- Population: 53,515
- Status: Similar to Spotswood, Parsippany is considering a resolution opposing marijuana legalization. The council was set to vote Tuesday, but it’s unclear if the resolution was approved.
Seaside Heights
- County: Ocean County
- Population: 2,881
- Status: Seaside Heights officials were drafting a marijuana ban, but have taken a wait-and-see approach. The ordinance has not been introduced.
Toms River
- County: Ocean County
- Population: 91,133
- Status: Toms River introduced a marijuana ban in January, but it has since been tabled indefinitely.
Towns that have said they’d welcome weed
Of New Jerseys 565 municipalities, only two have publicly said that they want marijuana businesses.
Asbury Park
- County: Monmouth County
- Population: 15,850
- Context: Both the mayor and deputy mayor of the city have said they have no issue with marijuana businesses. Asbury’s council has yet to approve any ordinance allowing marijuana in the city.
Corey W. McDonald
Jersey City
- County: Hudson County
- Population: 261,666
- Context: Mayor Steven Fulop has said he supports legalization and would be working with the public to craft zoning regulations that include marijuana businesses.
Three counties have weighed in
New Jersey is a home-rule state, meaning municipalities are largely able to chart their own courses. But when it comes to marijuana, three coastal counties have spoken out.
The opposition from both counties is largely symbolic, but it could encourage towns in those counties to take similar steps.
Monmouth County
- Population: 627,532
- Context: The Monmouth County Freeholders were the first county officials to publicly oppose marijuana, passing a resolution in January.
Ocean County
- Population: 586,166
- Context: Ocean County Freeholders followed their northern neighbors in February by passing a similar resolution opposing legalized marijuana and encouraging towns to ban it.
Cape May County
- Population: 95,404
- Context: The Cape May Freeholders approved a resolution opposing marijuana legalization on Feb. 13.
Status of recreational marijuana in NJ?
Days after Murphy said he wanted to legalize marijuana by the end of the year, state Sen. Nicholas Scutari, D-Union, said he thought lawmakers would be able to get it done by that deadline.
Scutari’s plan has been sitting in the Senate since January and another bill was introduced in the Assembly earlier this month. Both proposals allow the possession and personal use of small amounts of marijuana, while also creating a regulated commercial cannabis marketplace. Before a plan could reach Murphy’s desk, the two state legislative chambers would have to reach a compromise, which has yet to happen.
http://www.nj.com/marijuana/2018/03/these_nj_towns_have_said_no_to_legal_weed_before_i.html
