Atlantic City aims to become New Jersey's only legal cannabis location
The sin city is trying to keep other counties in the state from dealing in Cannabis.

Atlantic City is already the Garden State's gambling hub and aims to become the capital of New Jersey's burgeoning legal weed market.
Marty Small, the Atlantic City mayor, said Wednesday he wanted the beach resort to be the only place in New Jersey where marijuana could be sold for the next three to five years. "We're constantly looking for new sources of income to offset the impact of property taxes," Small said in an interview with the Associated Press. Small also took to Instagram to promote the proposal and urged followers to "SHARE & TAG". "Let's have legal marijuana sales ONLY in the BIG city of Atlantic City for the next 3-5 years," he said on the social media post.
As reported by the Associated Press, Small argues that "the city should get the tax dollars that recreational marijuana would bring in first because it is currently getting none of the federal taxes on parking, luxury goods, hotels and sports betting." "Is it fair that Atlantic City isn't getting any of these state taxes? (In September) New Jersey took in $ 748 million in sports betting, and we didn't get a single red cent from it," said Small, speaking from the AP quoted. "We're the golden goose funding much of the state's programs, and it's time we got something.
Whatever the argument may justify, Small's endeavors seem quixotic. The AP noted that state Senate President Democrat Steve Sweeney said there was "no way" for Small's plan to go ahead. Joe Danielsen, another state Democratic lawmaker, joined in, saying the "guiding principle is that it should benefit many, not just a few." Danielsen also turned the tables on Small's argument. "I would like to know why Atlantic City has exclusive gambling rights," Danielsen said, as quoted by the Associated Press. "Is that fair?"
While Small's efforts to corner the weed market for his city are getting nowhere, it certainly won't be the last time New Jersey officials tinker with a bill that was overwhelmingly received by state voters last week was adopted. Approximately sixty-seven percent of Garden State voters voted in favor of Question 1, which provides legal recreational marijuana for adults 21 and older. New Jersey was one of four states to legalize recreational marijuana on Election Day that year, joining South Dakota, Montana, and Arizona to end Prohibition.





