Northfield: Voters 70% in favor of weed law

By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff

NORTHFIELD — Long known (in some circles) for allowing the sale of paraphernalia for smoking (legal substances and otherwise), the city could become the home of one or more marijuana businesses in the future.

With a state deadline of Aug. 11 to create local regulations on the cannabis industry, City Council President Tom Polistina said April 6 that it’s time to get moving, regardless of which way the governing body wants to go. 

Four months may seem like a lot, but with council meeting only once in June and July there will be only six meetings before the deadline. The Planning Board also must weigh in and it meets just once a month.

Under the law signed by Gov. Phil Murphy following a successful voter referendum in 2020, municipalities that do not prohibit the businesses — grower, processor, wholesaler, distributor and retailer — would automatically be required to allow them for five years before they could enact any local limitations. Polistina said those businesses that did open during the ensuing five years would be grandfathered in and allowed to continue even if the city were to ban them. 

The sixth type of business, delivery, is allowed throughout the state.

Polistina seemed to think it would be wise to act to ban cannabis businesses and possibly reconsider later.

“If we choose to prohibit everything, at any time we can always reverse that and allow it during the five-year period,” he said.

Polistina also mentioned his concern with the matter of police notifying parents when their underage children are caught with the drug. Initially they were not mandated to do so but that has since changed.

“A lot of my concern is just the way the whole thing rolled out, particularly with the enforcement side of it that ended up being backpedaled and changed,” he said. “I’m just not confident about what else is in that bill.”

The council president went on to say that the statewide referendum on allowing the recreational sale and use of the drug by adults passed by 67 percent, with 70 percent of Northfield voters favoring it.

“It’s something voters voted for,” he said.

The incentive to allow such businesses is that host municipalities could collect a 2 percent tax on all income generated. That’s a juicy carrot in a city that has seen its ratable base drop by $123 million since 2010.

As noted, Northfield has permitted the sale of smoking paraphernalia for decades. During the 1980s and ’90s, ACRAT sold concert tickets, rolling papers, bongs and other devices. Today, the items can be found at Hollywood Smokin’, Northfield News & Tobacco and possibly elsewhere.

Council discussed appropriate places for marijuana businesses, singling out the residential commercial zone that stretches along Tilton Road from Deborah Street northeast to the border with Egg Harbor Township. That would exclude the shopping center on the east side where the Tilton Square Theatre, Ace Hardware, The Spot and other businesses a located because it’s part of the commercial-multifamily zone created when the city agreed to allow development of the Cresson Hill apartment complex.

Councilman Paul Utts said several businesses that sell paraphernalia would not be included if the businesses were allowed only in the residential commercial zone, mentioning Hollywood Smokin’ and Northfield News & Tobacco.

Speaking at the meeting, Richard Levitt said he is more concerned about controlling consumption in public places than whether the city allows the businesses.

“I don’t want to bring my grandchild to Birch Grove Park and sit down next to somebody smoking,” he said.

Levitt, chairman of the Planning Board, but speaking as a local resident, said marijuana businesses are going to open in the city or in neighboring towns so the city should consider taking advantage of the tax revenue.

“I think that there would be little harm in allowing retail in the commercial zone,” he said. “Our citizens are going to try it and do it, so are we going to send them somewhere else to pay the taxes?”

Levitt also said he feels it’s unlikely that there would be enough space for a manufacturer or wholesaler in the city, but Mayor Erland Chau said that may not be the case. The mayor said he spoke with two people about a year ago who were interested in opening a growing facility and said Northfield has buildings large enough to accommodate the process.

Councilman Frank Perry said allowing a distribution business may generate more money for the city.

Councilman Brian Smith said he did not vote for the referendum, does not support it and will not vote in favor of anything related to it.

City Council decided to form a committee consisting of Councilmen Greg Dewees, Utts and Perry to explore the issue.