COURT HOUSE – Middle Township Committee adopted a new cannabis ordinance, Sept. 6, expanding the opportunities for cannabis businesses in the township while setting rules for their operation.
The new ordinance allows for up to two cannabis retailers and also permits cultivation and manufacturing operations with proper state licenses. The township will allow cannabis retail establishments in commercial zones, as long as the locations meet distance requirements from churches and schools.
Whenever the township schedules a discussion or a vote regarding cannabis within township limits, there are always those who use public comment periods to object. That was again true, Sept. 6, when one resident urged the township to refrain from allowing the new cannabis industry a foothold within the municipal borders. The resident spoke to existing difficulties with those who drive after drinking, saying the township should not exacerbate the problem.
Mayor Timothy Donohue gave the same response he has given many times before.
“It’s here,” Donohue said.
He argued that nothing the township did would prevent those who wished to partake of legal cannabis from getting it elsewhere and bringing it home. In the county, both Lower Township and West Cape May have passed regulations that allow for retail cannabis sales.
Donohue said he sees the emerging industry as providing a “significant opportunity for revenue” for the township. Regulations set a 2% local tax on sales or cultivation of cannabis in addition to state tax.
The ordinance also envisions fee revenue. An application for local support of an effort to gain a state license will cost $2,500. It is a nonrefundable fee. Another one-time local fee for retail establishments is $8,000 and for cultivators, $10,000. These fees are refundable if the application to the state is not granted.
Donohue said the township has struck the “right balance,” as access to legal cannabis expands. So far, no cannabis retailer has been approved to open in Cape May County, but Shore House Canna, on Sunset Boulevard in West Cape May, expects final approval soon.
Contact the author, Vince Conti, at vconti@cmcherald.com.
