TRENTON, N.J. (1010 WINS) -- New Jersey is preparing to legalize recreational marijuana, but not everyone is high on the idea.
The list of towns that have already passed resolutions saying 'no' to recreational marijuana is growing like a weed. Some 50 towns have already voiced their opposition.
"Yeah, Waldwick especially, they've got so many bad things going on in the school. The last thing you need is to leave school at lunch time to go get a pot and start smoking and to go back to school," Ernie said.
He's not convinced that regulation will keep cannabis out of teenage hands.
"That means nothing, so is liquor," he said.
Teen pot use is a concern for many officials, while others fear that dispensaries will attract unwanted visitors.
“Woodcliff Lake is a quaint little town, and it's not a place for dispensaries to open up,” Mayor Carlos Rendo told WNYC.
Despite such opposition, support for legalization among voters in New Jersey remains high. A 2018 poll found that nearly 60 percent of adults support legalization -- that includes a significant number who were previously opposed, Politico reports.
While towns have the right to keep the marijuana business out, they will have no authority to arrest people for smoking it if the state moves to legalize.