Aberdeen Will Allow Marijuana Grow, Not Pot Shops, To Open

ABERDEEN, NJ — Aberdeen Township will allow marijuana to be grown in that town, but it will not allow retail marijuana businesses to open. Also, a business that delivers marijuana could be located in Aberdeen.

Holmdel and Middletown are likely voting not to allow marijuana businesses to open up in their towns, either. It remains unknown what Matawan will decide.

This Wednesday night, the Aberdeen Town Council will vote on an ordinance that will change the zoning of part of Aberdeen to allow "cannabis establishments, distributors and delivery services" to be located there.

This part of Aberdeen is the area around the train station (specifically, Schindler Drive), including Lower Main Street up to the Garden State Parkway, said Aberdeen Mayor Fred Tagliarini on Monday.

However, retail marijuana shops would not be allowed to open in Aberdeen.

"We are saying yes to five parts of the marijuana law, but not the sixth, the retail 'pot shops' portion," said Mayor Tagliarini. "That is because the Council could not come to an agreement as to whether or not to allow retail marijuana sales in Aberdeen, nor did we find a place that is agreeable to locate it. We're not going to put it in the Strathmore shopping center, or the ShopRite shopping center; we can't put it by any homes or schools by law."

"But a warehouse or marijuana-delivery business could open up in that very narrow area," (above), he said.

This proposal will be discussed in public at the Aberdeen Planning Board meeting this Wednesday night. Then it will be brought up for a second reading at the Aberdeen town council meeting Thursday night. There will be an opportunity for public comment Thursday night before the Council votes on the ordinance.

It will likely be voted into law at Thursday night's meeting, as all of Aberdeen's Council supports the ordinance, said Mayor Tagliarini.

Aberdeen's marijuana ordinance was first introduced at the July 8 Aberdeen town Council meeting.

Why are so many New Jersey towns banning pot shops, even though marijuana is now legal in the state of New Jersey?

Last November, an overwhelming majority of New Jersey voters (more than 70 percent) said they supported legalizing marijuana, via a public ballot question in the 2020 election.

But then in early 2021, the New Jersey League of Municipalities said towns in New Jersey have until Aug. 22 to enact ordinances banning pot shops, if they so choose. If they do not pass this ban by Aug. 22, New Jersey towns would not be able to ban marijuana businesses from opening for the next five years.

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