Some Weed Businesses Could Become Legal Tuesday In Parsippany

PARSIPPANY, NJ — Barring unforeseen circumstances, Township Council will vote Tuesday on whether to allow certain cannabis businesses into Parsippany. The ordinance up for adoption would permit wholesalers and distributors into town while prohibiting all other kinds of weed businesses, including dispensaries, for the time being.

Wholesalers can obtain and sell cannabis items for later resale to licensees, while distributors transport items in bulk throughout New Jersey.

The council previously favored a complete ban on all six classes of cannabis licenses the state would issue. But officials expressed openness since June 1's council meeting toward allowing a limited welcome for cannabis businesses.

"Parsippany is basically the crossroads of northern New Jersey," said Council President Michael dePierro on June 1. "Every highway cuts through Parsippany. I can envision warehousing wanting to be here, even if we don't have dispensaries. They can get here from anywhere, and they can go anywhere." Read more: Here's Where Cannabis Businesses Could Go In Parsippany

The ordinance will be up for a second reading and public hearing at the Township Council meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday in Town Hall.

Parsippany would only allow the businesses within certain zones — all at least 1,000 feet from school properties and 500 feet from public facilities and homes. Businesses must operate within the hours of 6 a.m. to 1- p.m. Monday through Saturday.

The businesses would then operate in enclosed buildings with no outdoor storage. Cannabis products wouldn't be able to be visible from any public place.

Business licenses would come with a $1,000 application fee and then annual $500 renewal fees.

The ordinance largely follows the regulations the Parsippany Cannabis Working Group recommended at June 1's meeting. The group proposed a maximum of two licenses for each allowable class of business license within town premises.

The state gave all New Jersey municipalities until Aug. 22 to decide whether to ban any or all types of marijuana businesses. Cities and towns that miss the deadline cannot impose such bans for five more years. Any businesses established within that timeframe get grandfathered in even if there's a future ban.

Banning certain licenses before Aug. 22 would allow the township to revisit them later, especially once they can better judge the market of legal cannabis.

"It's kind of a nice compromise to allow some limited operation in a way that makes sense," said Council Member Emily Peterson on June 1, "and you can always go back and revisit when you want to expand it."

The cannabis working group pinpointed four potential areas for allowing cannabis: the Edwards Road and New Road corridor on the township's east side, Parsippany Boulevard and Fanny Road, near the Boonton border, the commercially zoned corridor along Jefferson and Pomery Roads near Route 287, and parts of the Morris Corporate Center with frontage on Interpace Parkway.

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