TINTON FALLS — The Borough Council is proposing to amend an ordinance which includes guidelines related to cannabis businesses that may eventually operate in Tinton Falls. The amended ordinance would adjust the distance a cannabis retailer must be from school facilities.
During a meeting on Sept. 6, council members introduced an ordinance that will, if adopted, amend the cannabis business guidelines ordinance by changing the regulations that relate to the location of cannabis retailers.
According to the current ordinance, a cannabis retailer must be at least 1,000 feet away from a school on the same side or the opposite side of the street.
The proposed amended ordinance will require a cannabis retailer to be at least 1,000 feet away from the property line of any property that is used for school purposes.
A public hearing on the amended ordinance is scheduled for Sept. 20. The governing body may adopt the ordinance that evening.
Borough Council members adopted the ordinance which establishes regulations regarding cannabis businesses in December after the enactment of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act, also known as A-21. The enactment of the law came after New Jersey voters approved a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana.
A-21 established six marketplace classes of licensed cannabis businesses: cultivator, manufacturer, wholesaler, distributor, retailer and delivery.
Under the terms of Tinton Falls’ ordinance, cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers will only be permitted to operate in locations south of Pinebrook Road. Those types of businesses will only be permitted uses in the MFG manufacturing zone, the MFG-2 manufacturing zone and the Industrial Office Park zone.
A marijuana delivery service will not be permitted to operate in any zone in Tinton Falls, according to the ordinance.
However, in accordance with state law, the delivery of cannabis products and/or supplies to Tinton Falls addresses by a delivery service that is based outside the borough may not be prohibited by municipal officials.
The hours of operation for a cannabis retailer will be from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday, according to the ordinance.
Cannabis cultivators, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers will each be limited to a maximum of two businesses in Tinton Falls. According to the ordinance, the license fee for each business type will be $10,000 for the initial application and $2,500 annually afterward.
The application package for potential cannabis businesses has not yet been made available in Tinton Falls. Municipal officials have said the governing body intends to adopt the amended ordinance relating to school property before issuing the application package.