Bayonne, NJ Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

The Code of the City of Bayonne, Chapter 39, Recreational Cannabis, defines 'CANNABIS CONSUMPTION' by declaring outright that cannabis consumption areas are prohibited (§ 39-1.3). That single line sits inside the chapter's definitions section, but it controls the whole licensing scheme that follows: the City only issues municipal licenses for a Class I cannabis cultivator, a Class II manufacturer, a Class V retailer and a Class VI delivery service (§ 39-2.a), and none of those five license classes authorizes an on-site consumption lounge. A person or entity wanting to open a cannabis business in Bayonne must first win a Resolution of Support from the three-member Cannabis Preliminary Review Board, made up of the Mayor or a designee, a Council-appointed member and the Director of Public Safety, then obtain a Letter of Zoning Compliance from the Zoning Officer before returning to the Planning Board for site plan approval (§§ 39-1.1, 39-3).

Because consumption areas are barred, cannabis retailers in the City may sell only for off-site use, and delivery drivers working for a licensed retailer are barred from parking overnight on the street. Enforcement runs through the Police Department, City Engineer, Construction Official, Health Department and other municipal officials named in § 39-7.1, and any violation of the chapter, including operating an unauthorized consumption area, is punishable by a civil fine of $2,500 to $5,000, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate offense.

Repeat or ongoing violations can also trigger suspension of a certificate of occupancy or revocation of the municipal license, and the City reports violations to the State Cannabis Regulatory Commission.