Howell Council Cannabis Meeting Delayed Amid Russo Departure

HOWELL, NJ — Cannabis businesses were going to be the topic of discussion of a special Howell Township Council meeting on Tuesday but that meeting has been canceled due to a lack of quorum.

The five-person council was reduced to four people after Deputy Mayor Thomas Russo announced his resignation last week.

The purpose of the special meeting was to discuss how recreational cannabis or medical cannabis should be regulated, zoned and permitted for land use purposes in Howell, according to the township website.

The council passed an ordinance back in July prohibiting any type of cannabis business to set up shop in Howell.

However, council members agreed to decide amongst themselves on a timeframe to revisit the issue.

Marijuana use was legalized in New Jersey last year, but state lawmakers left it up to each town to decide if they wanted to ban or limit the number of dispensaries locally.

If the town had opted in, it would have been bound to this decision for five years, but by opting out the decision can be reversed at any moment.

The next regular council meeting will be held on Nov. 30.

Have a news tip, correction or comment? Email catarina.moura@patch.com. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter here.