Moorestown Cannabis Rules Revised Amid Protests

MOORESTOWN TOWNSHIP, NJ — Against the wishes of several Moorestown residents, the Moorestown Township Council revised its cannabis ordinance Monday.

Under the new ordinance, the council may recommend up to six licenses from potential cannabis licensees in the township to the state, and then the state decides which businesses get licenses. Council indicated the revision was to keep their ordinance current with the state's requirements.

Previously, the council intended to only recommend a maximum of four cannabis licensees to the state for its consideration.

One township resident asked the council to keep the maximum number of licenses at four.

"I struggle to understand why we would ever be that many," Mark D. Villanueva said. "My rough understanding is that a customer ... could come into Moorestown and leave with 6 ounces of weed every day. I do not think we want this to be known as the town that's great to come in and buy a ton of weed."

He also expressed concern that the cannabis would get into the hands of children.

A second resident said he felt the township was moving too quickly in making its decisions.

"I struggle with how you're making these recommendations, given the fact that it's still a very it's still a very immature industry," Kevin Zepp, one of those residents, said.

Council Member David Zipin reminded meeting attendees that a majority of Moorestown Township residents had supported cannabis when it was put to a referendum. Other council officials noted that potential licensees must submit business plans before a recommendation can be given.

Another Council Member, Quinton Law, said he shared many of the residents' concerns, and added he did research to confirm or assuage his fears.

"There are 18 other states that have recreational marijuana markets ... so we are not reinventing the wheel here and we are looking at what other communities have done," he said. "Teen use has gone down in areas that have retail dispensaries. Crime has even gone down in areas that have retail dispensaries."

The likelihood of the state granting approval to all or even any of the licenses that Moorestown Township recommended is highly unlikely, added Township Solicitor Doug Henhold.

"We'll be lucky if we have success on anything that's submitted to the state," Henhold said. "There's a lot of competition out there."

The next Moorestown Township Council Meeting is scheduled for April 11.

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