KEYPORT – The Borough Council in Keyport has amended the municipality’s business license ordinance and will no longer refund fees that have been paid by cannabis business applicants who are not granted an operator’s license.
During a recent meeting, council members adopted an ordinance that amends the cannabis business license subsection of the general licensing and regulations ordinance. As noted in the ordinance, the initial application fee to be paid by an individual or an entity that wants to operate a cannabis business in Keyport is $5,000.
The previous version of the ordinance allowed applicants to be refunded 80% of the application fee from the borough if they were not granted a license. Under the amended ordinance, a refund will not be granted to applicants who are not granted a license.
Following the passage of A-21, a state bill that legalized the recreational use (also known as adult use) of marijuana by certain adults, council members adopted an ordinance that established locations in Keyport where cannabis businesses will be permitted to operate and the standards by which the operators of cannabis businesses may receive a license.
The state law established six marketplace classes of licensed marijuana businesses: cultivator, manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor, retailer and delivery.
In Keyport, cannabis retailers and delivery services will be permitted to operate in the Highway Commercial zoning district, in the Industrial zoning district and on specific lots in the General Commercial zoning district.
Two cannabis retailers will not be permitted to operate in the same zoning district, according to the ordinance.
According to the ordinance, cannabis cultivators, distributors, manufacturers and wholesalers will only be permitted to operate in the Industrial zoning district.
No type of cannabis business will be permitted to operate within 250 feet of a licensed childcare facility or a residential childcare facility; nor within 250 feet of any public or private elementary school, middle school, high school, college or university; nor within 150 feet of any church, synagogue, temple or other place used exclusively for religious worship; nor in or upon the same premises of businesses that engage in retail food sales or retail alcoholic beverage sales, according to the ordinance.
Cannabis cultivators and cannabis manufacturers will each be required to pay an annual license fee of $10,000.
The annual license fee to be paid by cannabis wholesalers, distributors, retailers and delivery services will be $5,000.
Two licenses will be permitted for each type of cannabis business.