See scenes from the meeting in Brick in the gallery below.

BRICK - A proposal to ban the sale of recreational marijuana drew dozens of attendees to a Township Council meeting, where they argued for more than an hour over the potential merits and possible pitfalls of legal cannabis shops and facilities in the township.

The council voted Tuesday to introduce an ordinance that would ban the "retail sale, cultivation, manufacturing and testing of recreational marijuana." The ordinance would block marijuana retail establishments, cultivation facilities, cannabis product manufacturing and testing facilities from operating in the township, should New Jersey legalize such businesses.

Violating the ordinance would result in fines up to $500 and up to 90 days in jail.

Watch the video above for more from Tuesday's meeting.

The council heard more than an hour of comments from members of the public who argued over the potential for marijuana to spur new jobs and bring new revenue into town. Others argued that such shops would encourage addiction and intoxication.

Hugh Giordano, a union representative for United Food & Commercial Works Local 152, which represents legalized cannabis industry workers, said the ban would kill prospective jobs.

"I find this ordinance to be an attack on the working class, an attack on our labor union, and an attack on good jobs," he told the Township Council. "These are jobs that create a new income and a new economy."

But Roberto Flecha, a 60-year-old Brick resident and drug counselor, attended the meeting to support the council's proposed ban.

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"I believe that recreational marijuana should be banned, not only in Bricktown but also all over the state," he said before the council meeting. "I see the devastation of marijuana in my patients."

Stephen Reid, executive director of New Jersey Responsible Approaches to Marijuana Policy and mayor of Point Pleasant Beach, also came to the meeting to support Brick's proposal.

"I think the mayor and council of Bricktown are just doing the right thing and they're really worried about the children ... and I think they're worrying about the residents as well," he said before the meeting. "They're also looking at the bottom line. The money that they think is going to be there, it's not going to be there."

Training police officers to recognize signs of marijuana intoxication will cost money that will erode any profits the town collects from recreational marijuana sales, Reid said.

Council President Andrea Zapcic said Sunday that having recreational marijuana establishments in town would change the family-friendly atmosphere of Brick and provide little tax revenue to the municipal government.

Breaking from the rest of the governing body, Councilman Jim Fozman recommended putting the decision to voters in a referendum.

Councilwoman Marianna Pontoriero urged residents to have their say during a public hearing on the ordinance on March 12, after which the council will vote to adopt or reject the proposal. That meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in town hall, 401 Chambers Bridge Road.

"We're not here to make a decision that we want," she told the audience, "we're here to make a decision that you want."

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The Asbury Park Press and USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey will continue diving into the New Jersey marijuana legalization debate, with regular updates, mailbags, a discussion group and live events.

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Amanda Oglesby: @OglesbyAPP; 732-557-5701; aoglesby@gannettnj.com