Hopewell Township puts pause on future resolutions of support for Cannabis Retailers

Hopewell Township will halt future local support for cannabis retail establishments.

The township has already issued resolutions supporting four applicants.

Township Committee members voted unanimously to approve a resolution at the governing body’s Sept. 19 meeting.

“I think it is prudent to put a pause on things. We have vetted a couple opportunities and we have had a robust discussion over which applications might be stronger than others,” Committeeman Kevin Kuchinski said. “But that is ultimately a Planning Board and state decision.”

Mayor Courtney Peters-Manning, Deputy Mayor Michael Ruger, Committeeman David Chait, Committeewoman Uma Purandare, and Kuchinski voted “yes” on the resolution.

“The township is allowing two cannabis retail establishments in the township under our ordinance. Thus far, we have had four applicants for which the township has issued four resolutions of local support,” said Scott Miccio, attorney for Hopewell Township from Parker McCay.

He noted that the resolution puts a pause on the Committee considering any future resolutions of support for cannabis retailers. Four applicants have applications pending before state officials.

“This resolution will put a pause on future considerations of cannabis applicants with the caveat that if the situation changes in the future, perhaps the ones that have been sent to the state don’t get state approval, we could open that back up and consider applicants in the future,” Miccio said.

When the Committee convened earlier this month on Sept. 6, the governing body tabled a resolution of local support for cannabis retail applicant, Space Stash LLC, following concerns that included its name.

In April, the Committee awarded its first resolution of support to Pure Blossom LLC. It is one of the first of the applicants to receive a conditional license approval from the state.

In June, the support of Pure Blossom was followed by the approval of three additional resolutions of local support for three cannabis retailers – Jersey Meds Management, Icon Canna and Floro Hopewell.

Icon Canna was the only applicant out of three applicants in June to receive a unanimous vote of approval from the five-member Committee.