NEWARK - After setting aside a permanent ban on medical marijuana dispensaries in early May, Newark City Council will now consider a temporary ban the facilities.

Council's economic development committee will consider a law Tuesday that would place a moratorium on processing or approving applications for medical marijuana dispensaries for 180 days.

Medical marijuana was approved by the state last September. The rules for the program are still being written by people across several state agencies and are not expected to be implemented until September 2018.

Rules for cultivators, processors and dispensaries are slated to be ready this September.

Bill Cost, D-at large, is bringing the moratorium to council because there still so many unanswered questions about the medical marijuana program.

"There are many, many loose ends that the state has not worked out yet," he said.

On May 8 the economic development committee tabled legislation that would have banned medical marijuana from being anywhere inside the city limits.

Council members said at the time they wanted to wait to see the state's rules before implementing a ban.

Cost said that tabling the legislation however doesn't stop the inquiries about the dispensaries.

"From my point of view, I'd like to see this brought to a halt until the state gives real solid answers," he said. "With it being tabled, we really haven't given a yes or no answer so the moratorium would give a little more structure to waiting until we have the state's plans for how we're supposed to handle this."

Newark Safety Director Steve Baum the state's rules could satisfy city officials but they won't know until they see the rules.

"This is like Congress voting for a healthcare bill that they don't get to read first. I think it's just crazy," he said. "We don't know all the facts yet and I don't think that we can either invite somebody to open a business or tell somebody they can't open a business without knowing all the facts." 

The city, Baum said, also has to decide where dispensaries will be zoned. The state has already said dispensaries are prohibited from being located within 500 feet of a school, church, public library, public playground or public park.

But the city can make additional rules. Baum said he doesn't want dispensaries next to liquor stores or gambling establishments.

"This isn't about being for or against it, this is simply a little due diligence," he said. "I want to have all our information about it and decide if there's any additional restrictions we want to add to it."


Twitter: @MariaDeVito13


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