Sarlo Leads Effort to Adopt a Coordinated Municipal Policy Regulating the Cannabis Industry in Southwest Bergen County Towns

Wood-Ridge – Senator Paul A. Sarlo, D-District 36 and Mayor of the Borough of Wood-Ridge, organized his fellow local elected officials in Southwest Bergen County in an agreement for a coordinated policy regulating the cannabis industry within their municipal borders.

The Mayors and governing bodies of the municipalities listed below, located in Southwest Bergen County, have determined that it is in the best interests of their communities to establish ordinances regulating the cannabis industry within their municipal borders, pursuant to state statute, in the manner described below:

Class 5 Retailer Licenses and Class 6 Consumer Delivery Licenses shall not be permitted within any zone of the municipalities. The undersigned municipalities made this decision based upon the fact that their retail business districts are near residential neighborhoods, educational and recreational facilities, houses of worship, and other places of public accommodation frequented by the public, including children.

Those municipalities that decide to permit Class 1 Cultivator Licenses, Class 2 Manufacturer Licenses, Class 3 Wholesaler Licenses, and Class 4 Bulk Distributer Licenses, will permit such uses only in their industrial zones that are not near residential neighborhoods, retail centers, educational and recreational facilities, houses of worship, and other places of public accommodation frequented by the public, including children. Some municipalities either do not have industrial zones that are removed from these areas and facilities or do not have industrial zones at all, and therefore, have decided to not permit any class of Cannabis License within their municipal borders.

The Mayors and governing bodies of the municipalities listed below respect the rights of residents to legally use cannabis as permitted by law and respect the decisions of other elected officials to regulate the cannabis industry in a manner that is right for their respective communities, pursuant to state statute.

Mayor Paul Sarlo, Wood-Ridge; Mayor John DeLorenzo, Hasbrouck Heights; Mayor Jeff Lahullier, East Rutherford; Mayor Robert Zimmermann, Carlstadt; Mayor Melissa Dabal, Wallington; Mayor Frank Nunziato, Rutherford; Mayor Robert Giangeruso, Lyndhurst; Mayor Jim Anzevino, South Hackensack; Mayor Daniel Pronti, North Arlington; Mayor Dennis Vaccaro, Moonachie.

“I think that it is very important that towns work collaboratively in developing policies on cannabis because our towns are all relatively small and our roads and neighborhoods are all intertwined,” said Senator Sarlo. “You could literally drive through all ten of the towns that are party to this agreement in less than twenty minutes.”

“I’m very proud that our local officials have agreed to cooperate on a coordinated policy regulating the cannabis industry in our towns,” said Senator Sarlo. “We all agree that a consistent policy within our region is in the best interests of our residents.”