N.J.’s Capital City to Welcome, But Limit Locations For Legal Weed Shops.

As New Jersey municipalities face a looming deadline to get in on the action for legal marijuana sales and legal weed shops, officials in the state’s capital city have been jockeying on an ordinance that would lay out how cannabis businesses can operate.

Trenton’s ordinance, which has gone through several changes, would allow five dispensaries in three existing business zones in the city, with the downtown business district excluded.

The ordinance has its first reading Thursday in front of the City Council.

It’s not what Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora’s administration originally wanted. They proposed 10 dispensaries and the downtown included. Although as it’s currently written it’ll at least get Trenton started by allowing it to regulate cannabis dispensaries. In addition to collecting taxes from such businesses.

Leaving out the downtown district, Gusciora said, is short-sighted and amounts to redlining.

“We need to capture this moment for the city of Trenton,” Gusciora said this week.

Local governments have until Aug. 21 to either ban cannabis businesses in their town or pass a local law welcoming and regulating adult-use marijuana. This further includes locations and numbers of dispensaries and collecting taxes.

If towns do not act, they must abide by general state rules, which would allow businesses to operate in their municipalities so long as they comply with existing zoning laws, and towns would be barred for five years from banning a marijuana business.

Trenton, NJ

In Trenton, Gusciora’s administration saw 10 dispensaries as a good start. By welcoming smaller, niche weed shops versus typically larger distributors which need larger spaces. The mayor said he sees Trenton as the retail system to grow and cultivate facilities. Facilities that may start in suburbs and industrial parks.

Trenton-based places to buy legal weed would bring people into the city, and provide jobs and opportunities. As well as providing the city with the important social equity role in a hopefully booming business, Gusciora said.

Trenton is the ideal location for these businesses, Gusciora said.

If the council fails to get something done by the deadline. A large marijuana business, which the mayor called “the Walmarts of weed”. It could further move into an industrial area of Trenton with little benefit to the city financially.

The areas zoned for marijuana dispensaries, in the current ordinance, are three existing redevelopment areas. These areas are Enterprise Avenue, Route 1 industrial area, and the Roebling Complex.

Conspicuously absent is the downtown business district, along the South Warren Street area, which lies in the city’s North Ward.

Roland Pott, a developer and business owner who lives downtown. He sent a letter addressed to North Ward Councilwoman Marge Caldwell Wilson. Urging her to include downtown, and the reaction was fiery.

All council members received a copy of the late July letter. Pott was reacting to a version allowing four dispensaries, one in each city ward, and none downtown. Following imploring what he thought were the obvious benefits of legal weed. Including revenue, jobs, increased activity downtown, and benefits for black and brown communities.

Downtown City

“As a downtown real estate owner, I have a tenant that wants to move into one of my properties and open a dispensary”. By excluding South Warren Street, you are then hurting the ability of real estate owners like me to renovate buildings, contribute to the City and invest in the community”. Others in the downtown district also have dispensary tenants interested, Pott wrote.

“As a City resident who appreciates the history of the City, I know that there was a time when the City leaders like yourself knew how to work with the business leaders. Please respect the zoning that the City has created and allow dispensaries in the commercial zones such as downtown. Please help your constituents,” he concluded.

Caldwell Wilson and Council President Kathy McBride called Pott irate, he says, and further told him to deal with their lawyers in the future. According to him, he thought he was raising legitimate concerns on behalf of constituents.

Pott and Caldwell Wilson serve on the Trenton Downtown Association’s board of directors together. Pott is the chairman.

Caldwell Wilson and McBride did not respond to email requests for comment.

Another South Warren Street property owner, William Osterman, said he’s “absolutely” for the downtown allowing a dispensary.

The former Trenton police officer said the downtown business areas have suffered mightily since COVID-19. With workers – mainly state workers – working remotely from home.

“You have to have something major downtown to draw people,” Osterman said. “I am absolutely for it, and I hope they can work something out.”

The ordinance could be changed starting tonight, or possibly amended if passed before the Aug. 21 deadline, city attorney Wes Bridges said.

The ordinance is very important to us, and it’s very important to support it.” he said.