Name: Garfield, in an about-face, says marijuana dispensaries could be good for city
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Garfield, in an about-face, says marijuana dispensaries could be good for city

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NorthJersey.comView CommentsGARFIELD – City officials have taken the first step toward possibly allowing marijuana sales by calling for a study of exactly where zoning would allow a dispensary.This week, the council voted&nbsp;to authorize the city manager to look into what areas in the city would abide by the state’s guidelines regarding dispensary locations.Councilman Joseph Delaney said&nbsp;council members felt it was important to look into the possibility, because the tax incentives would benefit the city.“We have to look into if this is doable in the city, which is what the city manager is doing now,” he said. “If it is something we can do, we’d like it.”New Jersey residents voted overwhelmingly in favor of marijuana legalization in November but it took until late February for state officials to agree on and pass legislation.City Manager Tom Duch said the city has two planners that will do a study to look into the zoning requirements and what may be permissible as far as “cultivation and/or dispensary” requirements.Legal weed in NJ:Opinion:They will produce a report that will be presented to the governing body. Duch also said it is important to have the professionals do it because Garfield is only 2.1 square miles but it has several schools and houses of worship, which limits potential locations for marijuana growth or sales.The idea of allowing a dispensary in the city is a pivot from the stance previously held by the council, which voted in early 2018 to ban sales in the city. They were the first town in Bergen County to put such an ordinance on the books, but many others followed.Delaney said at the time that Garfield wouldn’t be the right location for a dispensary."We're gearing more toward&nbsp;restaurants and family-oriented businesses in the city," he said then. "Selling marijuana wouldn't be the right fit."Delaney does acknowledge the about-face on the issue but says that he was never personally against it, and thinks the city could benefit.“I don’t know all of the ins and outs of this, so that’s why we are looking into it now,” he said. “It doesn’t hurt to try and it doesn’t hurt to change your mind.”While dozens of towns have passed ordinances banning the sale of the now legalized drug, a few have expressed interest in dispensary locations.Montclair, for instance, .Councilor Bob Russo said Montclair could be an example for other New Jersey communities hesitant to open dispensaries. "We are the model for having a very good medical marijuana program, with no problems for eight years, and that's the way we are going to keep it," he said. "We are the first and we want to be the best."Katie&nbsp;Sobko&nbsp;is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community,&nbsp;please subscribe or activate your digital account today.Email:&nbsp;&nbsp;Twitter:&nbsp;View Comments

NorthJersey.comView CommentsGARFIELD – City officials have taken the first step toward possibly allowing marijuana sales by calling for a study of exactly where zoning would allow a dispensary.This week, the council voted&nbsp;to authorize the city manager to look into what areas in the city would abide by the state’s guidelines regarding dispensary locations.Councilman Joseph Delaney said&nbsp;council members felt it was important to look into the possibility, because the tax incentives would benefit the city.“We have to look into if this is doable in the city, which is what the city...

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Katie Sobko

northjersey.com

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Garfield, in an about-face, says marijuana dispensaries could be good for city

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