PETERSBURG — While there was plenty of opposition to Township Committee allowing a cannabis shop on Roosevelt Boulevard, not everyone was against the idea.
One area political figure and several people representing the industry spoke out Feb. 25 before the five committeemen unanimously approved creation of a cannabis overlay zone, licensing and taxation.
Carol Sabo, who ran unsuccessfully for one of the legislative district’s seats in the state Assembly last fall, is a former mayor of West Cape May, where the first cannabis dispensary in the county opened.
Sabo said not only has the borough not had any problems with those operating or shopping at Shore House Canna, but that the store has proved to be a great source of revenue.
“We, too, were a town that didn’t have any other source of revenue besides our local taxes, so it was our due diligence that brought us to looking at those sources of revenue,” she said, noting the Borough Commission approved of the idea from the beginning.
While Sabo spent 13 years serving as an elected official, it was as a career social worker that she addressed Township Committee.
“I’ve worked with at-risk youth for all of my time in my career as a social worker. Addiction obviously affects a lot of people … . I also know that cannabis, for many people, is not a gateway drug; it’s an exit drug for people with serious opioid conditions,” Sabo said. “So thank you for having the foresight to look to this source of revenue for your municipality.”
Referring to opponents criticizing the plan to allow a dispensary just outside Ocean City, she noted no one was complaining about the two liquor stores in the same area.
“You can walk into a liquor store with your children easily. We used to call the liquor store in Cape May the “pretzel store,” because kids would go in and get a pretzel from the liquor store while their parents were buying alcohol,” Sabo said. “You can’t get past the door of a cannabis dispensary without the proper ID.”
She further said that those who do not partake need not patronize the place.
“You don’t drink, you don’t go into the liquor store. You don’t eat McDonald’s, you don’t go to McDonald’s. You know, it’s personal choice, individual liberty,” Sabo said.
While he supports the idea, Joe Kelly, co-owner of Coastline Dispensary on Avalon Boulevard, said the process eliminates competition. He noted he and his partners are interested in a property outside the cannabis overlay zone, which he said includes only seven properties — three owned by one entity.
“When three of the properties are owned by a particular private interest, it really reduces the competitive nature of the viability of getting more than one license application,” Kelly said, noting he filed “official detailed objections” to the township. “Having multiple applications is important for competitiveness, it’s important for safety, it’s important to get the right business in.”
Kelly said they would like to see the licensing process be made more competitive.
George Irwin, a former Seaville resident, said “cannabis was a lifesaver for my son who was diagnosed with cancer.” He also objected to the process.
“Right now, the zoning framework is what’s so concerning,” he said.
Irwin said the process lends itself to licensing an inexperienced operator, which could have a negative effect on the area.
“Companies like ours established here in New Jersey with a proven track record, we bring operational maturity, security infrastructure and financial stability,” he said. “We understand how the New Jersey (Cannabis Regulatory Commission) operations and requirements work. We know how to implement surveillance, age verification and inventory controls.”
Township resident Spencer Belz, who has been working in the cannabis industry for the past eight years, thanked Township Committee for moving forward to allow a retail store.
“I just want to give my appreciation and express my gratitude for you guys for doing your due diligence, for not taking this decision lightly, for hearing everybody out and making a strategic decision that will ultimately benefit our entire community and those outside of it,” he said. “We look forward to this moving forward and licensed operations coming into our township.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
