EDITOR’S NOTE: On March 10, NJ Cannabis Insider hosts its first semi-annual, daylong industry conference, featuring top leaders in the medical marijuana, hemp and legal cannabis industries. Tickets are now on sale.

Colleen Mahr is the mayor of Fanwood, and the immediate past president of the League of Municipalities. She will be a speaker at NJ Cannabis Insider’s March 10 conference.

Q: Is the conversation for municipalities with respect cannabis shifting away from “not in my backyard (NIMBY)?”

A: I think the premise of the question is flawed. Everyone acknowledges that retail cannabis locations are not appropriate or viable in all locations. It’s not as if commercial locations are looking at remote locations. They want to locate where they’ll get the most foot traffic. It’s never been about NIMBY for the League, but creating a regulatory structure conducive for appropriate locations and protections where it’s inappropriate.

Conversation, for both medical and recreational, is focused on where and what’s appropriate, are there safeguards in place for both the licensee, the customer and the host municipality and is there a benefit to host municipalities and a means to offset anticipated costs.

Q: What’s the bottom line for getting municipalities on board?

A: Show us you want to be part of the community, engage local officials, neighboring business and the community at large. Don’t view home rule as an obstacle but a necessary safeguard.

Q: What conversations still need to happen with residents? Specifically, how do you convince the vocal folks at municipal meetings?

A: I don’t see the vocal folks at meetings as the opposition. They’re concerned citizens. Some are and will remain philosophically opposed. Engage and demonstrate the value to the community you can bring.

Q: Do you think the ballot referendum will pass?

A: Ask me in November.

Seriously, it’s likely to pass in what will be a high turnout year. However, there were many proponents for casinos in North Jersey who were rightfully confident of that ballot question early on…. and we know how that turned out.

Q: Do you believe the previously proposed adult-use legislation will serve as a guide for what we can expect for towns with respect to cannabis, or is a whole new ballgame after November?

A: Yes, why reinvent the wheel? Changes will need to be made based on other legislation that passed, but the underlying structure is reflected in the medical marijuana expansion that passed late last year and we expect that the work that’s been done already will proceed, if and when the voters cast their support.

A version of this story first appeared in NJ Cannabis Insider.

Justin Zaremba is content lead and an assistant editor for NJ Cannabis Insider. Find him on Twitter at @JustinZarembaNJ.

NJ Cannabis Insider is a weekly subscriber-based newsletter produced by NJ Advance Media, which also publishes NJ.com, The Star-Ledger and other affiliated papers.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips