Middletown committee reviews statute that would let cities seek injunctions against landlords of illegal cannabis shops

The Middletown Mayor's Code Enforcement Committee on May 14 discussed a recently enacted state statute that, committee members said, could let cities seek ex parte injunctions against landlords who rent space to shops illegally selling cannabis products.

The Chair said the statute "allows us to file an ex parte injunction, which means that we should just get to file it against the owner who rents, space to the shops that illegally sell cannabis products." The committee was told that the state attorney general's office has reached out to municipalities to coordinate proper use of the new authority because, the Chair said, "it's never been used yet." No municipality has invoked the statute so far.

Nick, the committee's Police Department representative, described recent local enforcement that committee members said underscores the statute's potential uses. "They got, like, 50 pounds of weed out of there, and they actually have a hidden room in there that was behind the false wall," Nick said of a narcotics-unit raid at a smoke shop on Washington and Old Mill. He said officers had made arrests and that the owners subsequently hired a company to "come in and clean the place up." Nick recommended the committee begin using the new authority once the city finalizes its procedures.

Committee members said they had no immediate next-step vote; the Chair said staff and the attorney general's office are continuing to coordinate and that more information is expected at the next meeting.

The discussion left the statute's formal name and implementation details unspecified in the meeting; committee members noted they are still learning how other municipalities have handled notices and injunction filings.