Mahwah latest New Jersey town to ban legal weed sales

MAHWAH— The Township has joined a handful of Bergen County towns in banning marijuana sales ahead of a state bill that, if passed, would legalize the drug in New Jersey.

Mahwah's prohibitions , adopted unanimously by the Township Council on Thursday, will block all marijuana establishments from opening in Mahwah, including dispensaries, cultivation facilities and manufacturing plants. It does not apply to sales of prescribed medical marijuana, which is legal in New Jersey.

“The town has done a very good job over the last two decades of educating our kids on drugs,” Council President Robert Hermansen said. “This is the right message to send."

The ordinance passed with little fanfare from public Thursday, though council members stressed that the ordinance would preserve Mahwah's anti-drug character and prevent possible enforcement issues with buyers crossing the New York state line.

Other Bergen County towns, including Hasbrouck Heights, Garfield and Carlstadt, have adopted similar laws while Gov. Phil Murphy pushes to make New Jersey the 10th state to allow adults to buy and use marijuana without medical conditions.

A bill being considered by the state Legislature would make marijuana legal for anyone who is at least 21-years-old, and would further expand medical access to the drug. State lawmakers have said the bill could be approved by June 30.

Experts forecast that New Jersey’s marijuana industry would reach $850 million a year in 2022, or about 2.4 percent of the total U.S. market, across nearly 100 retail locations.

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Murphy's campaign for legalization, however, has drawn opposition from many Republican lawmakers and some Democrats, particularly members of the Legislative Black Caucus. Some members favor lifting criminal penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana rather than establishing a legal marketplace.

Elsewhere in the state, freeholders in Ocean and Monmouth counties have taken a stance against the legalization of recreational marijuana and they have asked their municipalities to join them in opposing the issue.

Point Pleasant Beach and Shrewsbury have banned the sale of marijuana. Berkeley Township introduced a similar ordinance.

Mahwah’s prohibitions includes what's known as a sunset clause stating that the law would become void if the U.S. Congress passes a federal law legalizing marijuana.