Residents and officials spar over Legal Leaf advertising; borough says products found compliant
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Summary
Residents raised alarms about advertising and youth-targeting by a smoke shop called Legal Leaf; the police chief and borough administrator said county health inspected the store and found products compliant with state law but will continue inspections if complaints persist.
Residents told the council they were alarmed by a mailer promoting a local smoke shop, citing imagery and product descriptions they said could attract children. "The advertisement clearly is towards children," a resident said, citing Grinch imagery and small-character graphics.
Police and administration officials responded that Legal Leaf (formerly Sin City Smoke Shop) is not a regulated cannabis retail shop and that the products sold are hemp-derived derivatives that are treated differently under state law. The police chief said, "But right now, we don't have any evidence that says they're selling cannabis from the shop," and noted prior random inspections and summonses related to vape products at the previous operation. The borough administrator said the Bergen County health inspector visited the store and "inspected every product in their store and everything was found to be compliant with state law."
Several council members acknowledged residents' concerns and said they would continue to monitor advertising and sales practices and check with legal counsel on enforcement options. One council member noted that manufacturers of some hemp-derived products have successfully challenged municipal restrictions in court, limiting the borough's regulatory options.
Next steps: Council members asked the borough administrator and police to continue monitoring complaints and to investigate any evidence of sales of regulated cannabis products. If evidence emerges, officials said they will pursue enforcement action.