MANCHESTER – The subject of recreational use of marijuana and regulations regarding its growth and distribution has been a topic of the governing body predating the vote to legalize it statewide last November.
Township Councilman Robert A. Hudak revisited the issue during a recent council meeting. He said he had been researching the issue and speaking with some town planners in the state. “Over 75% of the voters here in Manchester Township voted in favor of legalizing marijuana.”
“The state is mandating that towns act … because if we don’t act the state will act for us and allow it in all non-residential zones,” Hudak said.
He added, “further the state is permitting residents to purchase marijuana via mail order or online sales. It can be delivered to your home. I want to strongly urge the township council to consider possibilities of perhaps allowing cultivation and manufacturing in a limited sense in the industrial zone.”
Hudak added, “certainly, we can use our performance data that we have in to perhaps limit these uses in a positive way. Other municipalities such as Lakehurst who voted in support 93% to legalizing marijuana are looking at permitting these types of uses in their town.”
“I would hate to see Manchester be stuck through all the issues surrounding this but really be in no position to do anything,” Hudak said. He recommended further research in proposing some ordinances and some discussions among the council. “I’m looking to talking to everyone about this issue.”
Council President Craig Wallis proposed that Hudak and Councilman James Vaccaro work together and “see what we could come up with. We are going to start running out of time.”
Hudak responded, “that is the bigger issue and I’ve noticed a lot of other towns are looking at their options and what is available and within the planning community there has been a lot of discussion about how plans should react. We are not putting the genie back in the bottle. There is not going to be a new law that says statewide that cannabis is now going to be illegal again. That’s not going to happen.”
“How do we address it in a positive way that both protects the residents and also reflects their needs,” Hudak added.
Councilman Vaccaro who was a strong opponent of the legalization of marijuana and who asked the governing body before and after its statewide legalization to explore the issue and formulate regulations banning its growth and sale in the township, agreed to join Hudak in forming the committee.
