Old Bridge Bans Recreational Marijuana; Jersey City Welcomes It

OLD BRIDGE, NJ — Add Old Bridge to a growing list of towns across the state that are balking at Gov. Phil Murphy's proposal to legalize recreational marijuana.

Toms River introduced an ordinance banning recreational marijuana sales this week. Point Pleasant has a similar ban pending. Chatham Township Mayor Curt Ritter, in Morris County, said he will ask Chatham Township to do the same.

And now you can add Old Bridge to the list.

At the Township Committee meeting this past Monday night, Councilwomen Debbie Walker and Dr. Anita Greenberg-Belli said they plan to introduce an ordinance that would ban recreational marijuana sales in Old Bridge.

"I really think marijuana is a gateway drug, and Old Bridge, like the rest of New Jersey, and the rest of our country, already has a big drug problem," Councilwoman Walker told Patch. "I don't want other towns near us banning it, and then everyone flocking to Old Bridge so they can buy pot. Colorado has already reported a big increase in car accidents since they legalized recreational marijuana. We are already getting emails from residents saying, 'Please, ban it.' So we are working with our Township lawyer to introduce this ordinance."

Asbury Park and Jersey City are the two most prominent towns so far that said they would welcome recreational pot dispensaries. Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop tweeted earlier this month that the city planning department is already looking at where they can legally have dispensaries.

Walker said she has no problem with increasing access to medical marijuana, but she thinks that should be sold through regular pharmacies, like any other medicine.

Gov. Murphy said taxing recreational marijuana sales at 7 percent to 25 percent over five years in New Jersey will be a financial windfall for the state, resulting in millions in revenue.

Nearly all of the towns that are passing the anti-pot ordinances are run by Republican elected officials. Both Walker and Greenberg are Republican.

But another Old Bridge Councilman, Mark Razzoli, a Democrat, agrees with the two women. Razzoli is a retired Old Bridge police officer.

"It's not just a bipartisan issue, but a community issue. There has been so much talk about the money being made off of it, there has been no study on what would happen on the local level," Razzoli said at Monday's meeting, according to MyCentralJersey.com. "I'm very passionate about this because I really think that our children should come before profit. Marijuana cannot be sold in Old Bridge. This is a township of families. That's why we all live here. That's why we all moved here and I'm going to put my foot down on this and if I have to go fight for it, that's what I am going to do."

Gov. Murphy said he would sign a legalization bill if it was brought before him, but right now he does not have the votes to get the state Legislature to legalize weed. NJ.com reported earlier this month that about half a dozen Democratic state senators — including Sens. Joseph Vitale of Middlesex, Ronald Rice and Richard Codey of Essex, Jeff Van Drew of Cape May, Shirley Turner of Mercer and Brian Stack of Hudson County — said they would vote against a bill legalizing recreational marijuana.

Chatham Twp. Mayor Curt Ritter said he will be asking his Town Council to soon pass a similar ordinance.

"I will propose that the Committee review and consider legislation to prohibit the sale of marijuana should Governor Murphy be successful in fulfilling his ill-conceived campaign promise to legalize the sale and use of marijuana in New Jersey," Ritter said earlier this month. "We will also look to host additional community forums on important public health issues facing our community, including vaping among our youth."

Dr. Greenberg-Belli, who is a local veterinarian in Old Bridge, said she thinks if pot were to be legalized in New Jersey it should be done through a ballot process, and not a decision made solely by the governor.

"Washington, D.C., Colorado and other states did that through a ballot process," she told Patch. "I think we should let the people of New Jersey decide."

Related Patch reporting:
Berkeley Will Soon Ban Pot Sales In Township, Mayor Says

Toms River Weighs Ban On Growing, Selling Marijuana

Point Pleasant Beach Council Adopts No Pot Ordinance

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