Sussex Borough reintroduces cannabis ordinance

The Sussex Borough Council on July 27 reintroduced its cannabis ordinance after the planning board at a previous meeting suggested changes.

The ordinance would permit cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, wholesaling, distribution, retail and delivery services in certain areas of the borough, and adds a new chapter to the borough code regarding cannabis taxes.

A final public hearing on the newly re-introduced ordinance will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 10.

Borough planner Ken Nelson suggested on July 13 that, given Sussex Borough’s small, compact size, cultivation and manufacturing may not be practical.

Nelson said the borough could support some distribution, maybe a wholesaler. The borough can definitely accommodate a retail establishment and a delivery operation, he said.

The planning board suggested limiting the borough to four businesses. The council’s original ordinance permitted no more than four cannabis retailers.

Nelson suggested that four total licenses for the borough — two retailers, one cultivator, and one from the other four categories — might be a good idea to start.

“We can always go and amend the ordinance if we see the marketplace acting differently,” Nelson said.

He suggested said the planning board came to the consensus of having one retailer in the Commercial 1 Zone, which encompasses Main Street, and another in one of the borough’s two Commercial 3 Zones.

He said the light industrial zone might be a good place for distribution.