2 towns change view on cannabis retail sales

Four years ago, New Jersey municipalities were given the option of limiting the type of cannabis businesses they would permit or prohibiting them altogether.

Towns that opted out of allowing cannabis businesses were permitted to change their mind later.

In the past few months, the Stanhope Borough Council and Sparta Township Council have done that.

At its April 22 meeting, the Stanhope council unanimously approved an ordinance permitting a maximum of two retail cannabis dispensaries. Bill Thornton, the council president, was absent from that meeting.

The retailers may be only in a Highway Commercial Zone and only at locations with direct access to a county or state road.

The action came after the borough included a referendum on the ballot last November asking whether retail cannabis businesses should be allowed in Stanhope.

There were 1,042 yes votes, or about 55 percent, and 855 against.

Sparta ballot question

The Sparta council has agreed to place a similar public question on the Nov. 4 ballot after more than 1,500 residents signed a petition asking for a vote.

At its April 22 meeting, the council adopted ordinances allowing a maximum of two cannabis retailers in the TCC and C-1 Zones and only at locations with direct access to Routes 15 or 181 as well as setting licensing requirements.

Both ordinances were approved in 3-2 votes, with council members Marjory Murphy and Mark Scott voting no.

Many residents raised questions about the health effects of cannabis during public hearings on the proposed ordinances.

State law allows municipalities to impose a local cannabis transfer tax up to 2 percent of each sale by a cannabis retailer in that town.

All five Sparta council members voted in favor of a third ordinance setting the local cannabis transfer tax at 2 percent.

At its June 24 meeting, the council agreed to delay the effective dates of the three ordinances until Jan. 1, after the non-binding vote.