Sources: News 12 New Jersey; Burlington County Times
Verano Holdings, one of the nation’s largest medical marijuana cultivators, has moved into a former Walmart building on Route 22, to the dismay of some neighbors in Readington, New Jersey. Some say the smell from the facility is making them crazy, saying it’s so bad they can’t even go outside.
About eight months ago, neighbors say they started smelling what they thought were skunks, but it turns out it was the growing operation. The land is zoned for agriculture use, and Verano was granted a license to operate in early 2020.
No marijuana products are sold at the facility — it’s strictly cultivation.
Some neighbors say they had no idea marijuana would take over the retail space previously run by Walmart, and want to know why a company considered to be one of the leading producers of medical marijuana in the country simply can’t control the smell.
Sixty-eight neighbors have signed a petition calling for the township to do something about the odors. Numerous calls have been placed to police, and the New Jersey Department of Enviromental Potection.
Seniors in Burlington County may now be eligible for vouchers at local farmers markets, including the weekly market at the Burlington County Agricultural Center.
To be eligible, residents must be 60 and older. The county’s Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Voucher program has an income limit of $23,828 for a single and $32,227 for a married couple.
More than 6,000 vouchers are now available for up to 1,500 income-eligible seniors. Residents who have previously received vouchers for 2021 are also not eligible for additional ones, officials said. Each eligible senior can receive up to $30 in vouchers.
The Burlington County Office on Aging will distribute the vouchers until Sept. 30 or once supplies are exhausted. All vouchers must be used by Nov. 30.
Tesidents should go to the Burlington County Office on Aging website (https://www.co.burlington.nj.us/434/Aging) and complete the Seniors Farmers Market Vouchers application. The completed form can be mailed to Burlington County Office on Aging, P.O. Box 600, Mount Holly, NJ 08060, Attention Bobbi Westmoreland or emailed to bwestmoreland @co. burlington.nj. us.
For more information or to request an application be sent to your address, call the Burlington County Office on Aging at 609-265-5069.