On Wednesday August 4th, 2021, the Township Committee held a special meeting to discuss and vote on Springfield Ordinance 2021-19, which adds rules and regulations to the Township Code regarding recreational and medical cannabis within the Township. The Township Committee had two previous public meetings for discussion on this, and 08/04/2021, was the third meeting on this ordinance. Following the results of the 2020 Election ballot question, where 67% of NJ and 69% of Springfield, voted to make cannabis legal in the state of New Jersey, the Township Committee voted 4-1 in favor of allowing recreational sale within the Township of Springfield. The ordinance reads that sale of recreational cannabis will be allowed on our HC Zone / Highway Commercial. This is located on the Route 22 corridor for Springfield. At this time, we feel that Route 22 is the best location for this type of retail establishment.
There have been several questions that have come up numerous times. Here are the answers to them.
1. Will Springfield get a portion of the sales of Cannabis from any store that opens?
Yes. Springfield will get 2% of all receipt sales from the business.
2. Where will this money go as Springfield collects the 2%?
Any amount collected from the sales would go to the General Fund for the Township
3. Will this money reduce our taxes in Springfield?
Please be assured that it will supplement our yearly budget which will be a benefit to the residents.
4. Why won’t Springfield allow the sales on Morris Ave or Mountain Ave?
Right now, we want to try our highway commercial area to see how it works out. If it proves to be successful, and more importantly the residents are in favor of it, there could be one on those roads in the future.
5. Will security be an issue at a dispensary?
No it will not be. These stores, which have been opened across the country, for years, have safeguards built in that mandate they have better security than any other retail stores. NJ will be no different.
I will not cover opinion based questions or comments on this post. Yes, there is a lot of back and forth regarding Alcohol and Cannabis comparisons and differences. The fact is, they are now both legal for consenting adult use and all cautions should be used as with any item that is consumed.
Have a great day,
Chris Weber
Mayor