Princeton Shopping Center No Longer In Cannabis Dispensary Zone

PRINCETON, NJ —Princeton Shopping Center will no longer be included in the list of sites considered for a possible marijuana dispensary, Councilwoman Eve Niedergang, chair of Cannabis Task Force (CTF) said during Monday’s Council meeting.

The CTF has earlier identified six potential zones for a possible cannabis dispensary in the future — The Central Business District, Jugtown, Witherspoon North, 206 North, Princeton Shopping Center, and the Dinky area (south).

But owing to concerns raised by residents, the shopping center’s name was dropped from the list.

" The prospect of locating a cannabis dispensary at the Princeton Shopping Center, did generate substantial concern from members of the public and that zone has now been removed from the task force's list of potential commercial zones,” Niedergang said.

The CTF held three public meetings in September, with an aim to gather as much public input as possible before making its recommendation to the council whether Princeton should or should not permit cannabis businesses in town.

At the next meeting, the task force will discuss other important concerns raised by residents, like the appropriate distance of a potential cannabis dispensary from schools.

Public input has been shared with the task force as it prepares to make its recommendations to Council.

In August, the Council decided to temporarily opt-out of permitting marijuana businesses to operate in town, to give the CTF time to draft recommendations for an opt-in ordinance after reviewing regulations set by the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission.

Based on the recommendation from the Task Force, an ordinance will be presented to Council during the second half of October.

The recommendation is for retail only. The CTF will also be focusing on the racial justice and social equity aspect of having marijuana dispensaries in town.

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