Cannabis Sales To Be Allowed Across Bridge From Ocean City

UPPER TWP., NJ — Upper Township voted on a zoning measure that would allow cannabis sales along Roosevelt Boulevard heading into Ocean City.

The hearing drew comments from state regulators, residents, business representatives and former local officials, with speakers sharply divided over safety, addiction, zoning fairness and tax revenue.

The township committee unanimously approved the zoning change. It allows for the construction of one cannabis retail shop with no on-site consumption allowed.

Krista Nash, vice chair of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission, attended the meeting to provide information on state cannabis rules. Nash said New Jersey’s system includes child-resistant packaging, limits on imagery that could appeal to children, repeated age checks at dispensaries, product testing and security requirements including surveillance, motion detectors and panic buttons.

“As I repeatedly stated, access to the plant is already here,” Nash said. “It’s in Ocean City. It’s in Marmora, Tuckahoe and throughout the state.”

“The commission does not seek to promote consumption, but rather to provide safer and more responsible options for those who do choose to consume,” she added.

Committee members asked about delivery and consumption lounges. Nash said a licensed delivery business is “not prohibited from delivering anywhere in the state.” Township officials said the local ordinance would not permit consumption lounges.

Public comment reflected the split in the community. Spencer Bell of Marmora thanked the committee for what he described as months of review and said licensed operators face strict oversight.

“Nothing is overlooked,” Bell said. “There are no loopholes. There are no opportunities for us to step out of line without accountability.”

Other residents urged the committee to delay action. A resident who said she was speaking from personal experience with addiction told the committee marijuana “was part of a progression that led me into severe addiction including alcohol and pain medication.”

Another speaker, Diane Leo of Marmora, asked officials to postpone the ordinance and said, “I do not think your township people really want this.”

Natalie Niese of Petersburg asked for a postponement and read part of a Feb. 25, 2026, letter from an attorney for Coastline into the record. The letter argued the proposed overlay zone was too narrow, anti-competitive and inconsistent with the master plan, and raised objections including what it called spot zoning and the concentration of eligible parcels. The township solicitor cautioned the committee against responding in detail, saying the letter was “a potential objection to what you’re looking to do.”

The hearing also included comments from Carrie Folk of Ocean City, who said she brought studies and books related to mental illness and marijuana use, and from former West Cape May Mayor Carol Sabo, who said her town approved recreational cannabis during her tenure and has seen revenue from it.