Camden Town Council gives a thumbs-down to marijuana-related businesses in the town limits.
The ordinance passed by council members prohibits marijuana cultivation, processing, sales, and other businesses from operating in the town. Council members offered a wide array of reasons for their support of the measure.
“You’ve got so many kids coming in here for school, right? You’ve got [Caesar Rodney] High School, a lot of folks driving in, coming in, coming out," said Councilman Daniel Ridgely. "And we don't need to advertise mind altering drugs like that to our impressionable youth.”
Councilwoman Darlene Sturgeon was critical of how state officials have handled recreational marijuana legalization.
“I don't feel that the state really has their stuff together," she said. "I don't feel like they really know how they're going to enforce things. I feel like they still have a learning gap on what they're doing and this is more of a state initiative.”
One marijuana business, a testing lab, will be grandfathered in and allowed to remain in business. Councilman Daniel Woodall is connected to that business, a fact that caused some consternation among public commenters.
Woodall was not present at the meeting and did not vote. The other four council members all voted in favor of the ban.
