ROSELLE PARK, NJ — A meeting of the Cannabis Review Board recently took place in the Conference Room of Roselle Park’s Borough Hall.
It was made open to the public, but no one showed up. The meeting was a mere five minutes. In attendance were Mayor Joseph Signorello III, Chief of Police Dominick Frino, Zoning Officer Richard Belluscio and Chief Administrative Officer Andrew J. Casais.
Sigorello called the meeting to order and read the following statement into the record, “This is a meeting of the Roselle Park Cannabis Review Board called and held in accordance with Chapter 4, Section 11 of the Code of the Borough of Roselle Park.”
He spoke about two retail cannabis stores that were approved last year and one is pending. From Wednesday, Nov. 20, through Friday, Dec. 20, he said they are accepting applications for more manufacturing buildings, which would be taking the raw product for industrial use and selling to retail dispensaries, not the public. They will be only on application in 2025.
Regarding the turnout for the meeting Sigorello said, “Everyone’s sick of cannabis. It’s been a year full of cannabis and a year full of controversy. Change has been disruptive. The thought of it (cannabis) scares people. Everybody voted ‘yes’ for marijuana in New Jersey, but nobody wants it in their backyard.”
Sigorello pointed out that there’s a history and stigma behind marijuana; however, he has no problem with it. He said, “It’s legal and I’ve never seen people fight using it. But I’ve seen people fight when they’re drunk.”
He supports marijuana use “in your own house.”
To learn more about Roselle Park, visit: https://www.rosellepark.net/.
Photo by Maryanne Christiano-Mistretta