3 On Secaucus Town Council Voted Against Recreational Pot Sales

SECAUCUS, NJ — There is a split on the Secaucus town council regarding the proposal to allow Harmony to expand into recreational marijuana, and allow other recreational weed businesses to open in town.

In March, the town council — at the behest of Mayor Mike Gonnelli — introduced ordinance 2022-9, which would allow recreational pot businesses to open in Secaucus. The ordinance would end this prohibition Secaucus passed in 2018, which banned recreational pot shops.

However, at the March 22 meeting, three Council members voted against allowing recreational pot sales: Councilwoman Orietta Tringali, Councilman Jim Clancy and Councilman Bill McKeever all voted against it. The remaining four on the Council — Gonnelli and Councilmen Rob Costantino, John Gerbasio and Mark Dehnert — voted to move the ordinance forward.

The proposal was then sent to the Planning Board, which raised zero objections, and will now return to the Council for the second and final reading at their meeting next Tuesday night, May 10. Both Gonnelli and Costantino said they expect the Council will approve it next Tuesday, and the ordinance will become town law.

"I believe Bill came around, and will vote for it on Tuesday night," said Gonnelli Thursday, May 5. "Once he saw the numbers, how much tax revenue this will bring in for the town, he changed his mind."

Tringali and Clancy have not changed their minds, and remain opposed.

Tringali, a retired Secaucus elementary teacher, said she plans to again vote "no" on Tuesday night.

"I'm just worried about the kids. We already have a vaping problem in schools. Now we are putting legal pot on them," she told Patch Thursday. "I know you have to be 21 to legally buy (pot) in New Jersey, but I'm just worried. I really think about the kids, all the youth. I'm concerned about them. Marijuana can really impact brain development in young people."

Tringali said she would prefer to see how legal pot sales go in other towns, and then Secaucus can move forward.

But Gonnelli said he wants to allow recreational pot sales simply because of "the tax revenue it will bring in."

"Look, I really don't like the stuff; I don't do it, I don't smoke it," said Gonnelli. "A few years ago, marijuana was not legal. But now it is. The bottom line is, it's here to stay. It's not going away."

"It's expensive to operate this town," the mayor continued. "Look at the economy right now, inflation is up, we are hurting. Our business parking lots are still not full; the hotels in town are nowhere near occupancy. It costs money to run this town, to keep things like the pool free. And costs are going up."

He said that Harmony, the existing medical marijuana dispensary on Castle Road, brings in about $400,000 in tax revenue each year. He said if Harmony expands into selling recreational pot, he expects their tax revenue to increase to one million dollars per year.

"That's a lot of money. As it is now, we're probably going to have a small tax increase this year," said the mayor. "It's very hard right now to keep taxes stable."

Harmony has not applied for a license to expand into recreational marijuana sales — most likely because Secaucus still has that 2018 ban on the books.

But Gonnelli said he expects Harmony will apply for a recreational license sometime this year, especially if the town lifts the 2018 ban.

"And if they aren't allowed to sell medical and recreational pot, they won't stay in Secaucus," he said. "They will pick up and move to Union City, North Bergen, Jersey City. They'll go elsewhere."

Tringali said she knows allowing recreational pot will bring in "a lot of tax dollars. But I think we could try and find the money elsewhere."

She said a few Secaucus residents have thanked her for her initial "no" vote, but she's not looking for praise. "I have to vote my conscious."

Gonnelli said he welcomed debate on the town council; "We disagree and bicker all the time. It's all good."

Clancy and McKeever did not immediately get back to Patch for this article.

The ordinance that will likely be approved next Tuesday is pretty limited: Recreational pot businesses would only be allowed to open within the existing warehouse on Castle Road that already houses Harmony. Secaucus would allow Harmony to expand into recreational pot sales, and they or another company could also be approved to grow marijuana indoors inside that building.

No marijuana would be allowed to be grown outdoors, and on-site consumption would not be allowed, meaning it would be illegal for anyone to smoke marijuana or eat edibles inside or outside the building. Also, you have to be 18 to legally purchase marijuana in New Jersey.

Councilman Costantino said he views marijuana like alcohol.

"You have to be of age, responsible and also accountable if rules are violated," he said.

"It was approved in the state by about 70 percent of the people," he continued. "We were one of the first towns to allow medical (marijuana) in the state and there has been little to no issues since. If we allow recreational, we can have better control on where and when it can be sold and use the revenue to offset budget issues and any impact it may have. We toured the current medical facility and felt very comfortable with that operation."

Secaucus was chosen by the state of New Jersey to allow Harmony medical pot shop to open there in 2018; the town of Secaucus had no say in the matter when Harmony opened. The state just chose Secaucus as one of the first towns for a medical marijuana store.

The history of legal marijuana in Secaucus:

Secaucus Town Council Bans Recreational Marijuana Sales In Town (2018)

Secaucus Medical Marijuana Dispensary Opens: Exclusive Tour (June 2018)

Secaucus May Allow Add'l Pot Shops To Open Around Harmony (March 2022)

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