By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
LINWOOD — City Council has decided to prohibit all six classes of marijuana business from operating in the city.
The governing body introduced an ordinance to that effect July 14 and plans to have a second reading and public hearing at its next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 11.
Councilman Todd Michael, a member of the subcommittee studying the issue, reported on a public discussion held June 29 at which several members of the public spoke for and against allowing cannabis businesses to operate in Linwood.
Michael said there are too many unknowns, with the state yet to finalize its framework for creation of a marketplace. He explained that the city had three options — permitting some or all of the businesses, with or without restrictions; prohibiting some or all of the business; or doing nothing, which he said was not an option.
“The recommendation of the committee is that there are too many unknowns about what the state will require. The conclusion was to recommend not allowing them,” he said.
Michael said City Council could always reverse its decision after the state finalizes its plans, but pointed out that with a 1,000-foot buffer from public places, there is very little space in the city where such businesses could be located.
He also pointed at that while the city could stop a delivery business from operating out of the city, the actual delivery of the product cannot be restricted. Therefore, anyone in Linwood wanting to purchase it would be able to do so without having to travel out of the city.
Councilman Matthew Levinson, who also was part of the committee, said only half of the Central Square shopping center would be included in the permitted zone and that with marijuana still illegal federally, there are complications with leasing space to entities with a mortgage.
Levinson also said “no one is knocking down our door” to operate one of the businesses and that the city would have the ability to change course if it desired. He called prohibiting the businesses “the prudent thing to do at this time.”
He also said that council should be open to talking about any proposal that came before the governing body and “determine whether it is good for the city.”