Wildwood puts it bluntly: No weed sales in city, no plans to offer licenses

No smokescreen here.

Wildwood officials released a joint statement today, clarifying the city's stance on marijuana sales:

"The City of Wildwood does not allow the sale of cannabis (aka "weed). There are no licenses permitted and there are no plans to permit any."

The message came in response to concerns stirred by the arrival of Kannavis Botanicals at 3101 New Jersey Avenue (the former OceanFirst Bank). Photos of the store, which is not yet open, began circulating on social media over the weekend after signage was put into place.

Last summer, Kannavis Botanicals opened a shop at 3906 Pacific Avenue (directly across from the Wildwood Historical Museum); it is not clear whether the business is moving to the New Jersey Avenue location or expanding. 

"It has come to our attention that many in our community are confused or upset about some stores within the city limits that they perceive are selling cannabis or weed," the city's statement continued. "These stores are NOT selling anything with THC in it. THC is the part of the plant that can make a person 'high.'

"The store in question is a CBD/Delta 8 store. They are selling the hemp part of the plant, which is allowed to be sold everywhere without a special license. For example, a vitamin store may also sell CBD/Delta 8 legally."

CBD (cannabidiol) and THC (tetrahydrocanobinol) are both substances found in cannabis plants. CBD is often sold as an oil, is not psychoactive and contains medicinal properties. THC, on the other hand, is the main psychoactive chemical in marijuana.

According to its official website, Kannavis Botanicals is a fully licensed producer of hemp-based products in the State of New Jersey and Cape May County. It is also one of the few holders of a Hemp Handler's License from the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.

The business's stated mission is "to help as many people and pets as possible. We take pride in having the cleanest hemp-derived products available while keeping CBD affordable. Our products are made with full-spectrum plant extract containing all cannabinoids, flavonoids and terpenes to provide synergistic entourage effect."

CBD sales became federally allowable in all 50 U.S. states thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, which also permitted licensed companies to commercially distribute CBD products across state lines. 

In early 2021, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed into law legislation setting up a recreational marijuana marketplace, decriminalizing cannabis and loosening penalties for possession.  

"Even though New Jersey has made marijuana (with THC) legal, a business would still need to file for a special license to sell it in the City of Wildwood. "Mayor [Pete] Byron, Commissioner [Krista] Fitzsimons and Commissioner [Steve] Mikulski are not willing to permit such licenses," City Hall's statement concluded.