NORTH WILDWOOD – City Council May 18 unanimously adopted an ordinance prohibiting recreational marijuana businesses from operating in the city.
The ordinance is in response to recent state legislation legalizing recreational marijuana for adult use and decriminalizing it for minors. The state allowed municipalities 180 days to opt out and pass restrictions locally surrounding marijuana use and sales.
North Wildwood’s ordinance does not affect medical marijuana. When introducing the ordinance, Mayor Patrick Rosenello said he sees that as a different issue.
“I think there are two very separate issues,” he said. “Medical marijuana is like any other prescription medicine. We have a CVS Pharmacy, in North Wildwood, that dispenses all sorts of prescriptions that, if they weren’t being distributed for medical reasons, would be highly illegal.”
Rosenello added he didn’t see a crowded Jersey Shore resort as a good place for a recreational dispensary.
