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BY STEVE KELMAN
CORRESPONDENT
In anticipation of possible legalization of marijuana within the State of New Jersey, the Cresskill governing body adopted an ordinance last week that prohibits its sale and distribution in the borough.
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy has stated that he would like to see recreational marijuana legalized in the state and said it would be coming “sooner rather than later.” The governor made that remark during a recent Facebook Live Town Hall Meeting where he also said a vote in Trenton could happen within the next few weeks.
Wording in the new measure states that the borough’s master plan and current zoning ordinances “confirm” that there are no areas within the town “where the sale and/or distribution of recreational and/or health-related marijuana can be safely established given the borough’s concern for the health, safety and welfare of residents and visitors.”
“We decided to be proactive and pass this ordinance before we had any kinds of applications for these kinds of businesses,” Mayor Ben Romeo said after the Oct. 3 meeting when the ordinance was adopted. “We prefer not to have them in Cresskill.”
Police Chief Edward Wrixon said that the process of getting the new ordinance adopted started “prior to receiving any calls from people who would possibly petition us for the ability to open these types of businesses in the town.”
The chief said the ordinance was put together at his request.
“I just felt that—even though I believe in medical marijuana’s use for people in need—I didn’t want to open us up to having ‘head shops’ dotting our downtown area,” Wrixon said. “We initiated this at my request realizing that this would be something we would be dealing with on the horizon.”
The ordinance was first discussed during a mayor and council work session this past August.