No Cannabis Retail In Princeton For Now, Council Decides

PRINCETON, NJ — After months of discussions and debates, council decided that Princeton would not allow cannabis retail in the municipality. The decision was made during Tuesday’s special meeting.

Council said they came to the decision due to the disturbing and divisive nature of discussions on the topic. Although council members decided against allowing dispensaries in town, they did not close the door on it completely. Council members said they would look into it again in a few years.

“I continue to believe that Princeton should approve and regulate its own cannabis dispensary, one that is locally owned, focused on customer service and education, embraces equity and racial justice in ownership, hiring and promotions, and is committed to being a vital part of this vibrant community,” Councilwoman Eve Niedergang said, reading from a prepared statement.

After listing her various reason, Niedergang, who is chair of the Cannabis Task Force, said she was recommending that “we not move forward with the ordinance for retail cannabis sales at this time.”

“I come to this decision because the impact of this issue on the community has been disturbingly and perhaps uniquely divisive. It has also consumed a tremendous amount of council’s time and bandwidth, mine especially, and it is not even one of Council's key goals for the year.” Read More: Princeton's Board Of Health Weighs In On Cannabis Retail Debate

Councilwoman Leticia Fraga said that during the public hearing process she was interested in listening to all voices and not just the ones that were the loudest. But over the past few months, she was very disturbed by the “bullying tactics and harassment” some members of the council and the CTF faced.

Councilman Leighton Newlin said he wished the township reached the middle path on cannabis retail. "We never try to come and meet in the middle to see what could work. Marijuana is legal in the state of New Jersey and it's legal in Princeton. My belief is that a great, regulated, beautiful, state-of-the-art cannabis store would be an asset here in Princeton... I do not think children would into the black hole," Newlin said. "Smart growth is to manage is smart change."

Michelle Prione Lambros said she was not in favor of moving forward because the issue was tearing the town apart. "I do want to say that the engagement of new people in our town that we haven't heard from before - please keep being engaged." Read More: Princeton BOE Urges Council To Impose Cannabis Zoning Limitations

Mayor Mark Freda thanked community members for their engagement. "On this issue the common theme is - we really don't know what's going to happen if you open a dispensary tomorrow. I'm of the mind that let other towns do it before us and let's see what happens. Let's see what the challenges are, what works, and what doesn't work. There's no rush for this," Freda said.

During the Dec. 16 meeting last year, the CTF said it was going forward with its recommendation to allow three medical and adult-use retail dispensaries in town. But they faced pushback from residents who called for stronger zoning restrictions. Read More: Petition Opposes Cannabis Retail Near Princeton Schools, Homes

Tuesday's meeting was a continuation of the March 29 discussion.

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