CNY towns, villages, cities will have to decide: Should we ban retail marijuana sales?
Updated Apr 12, 2021;
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“This is big,” said DeWitt Town Supervisor Ed Michalenko. “It’s not something to be taken lightly.”
On March 31, New York made recreational marijuana legal. Towns and villages can’t do anything to limit a resident’s right to possess or consume weed.
But lawmakers gave communities a chance to bail out from retail outlets.
Municipalities can pass a local law opting out of allowing pot dispensaries within their boundaries. If a local government does nothing, the community is automatically in.
Any town has to pass that opt-out law by Dec. 31. It can be rescinded by the board at any date, experts say.
Municipalities in the Cayuga County area are weighing the pros and cons of opting out of parts of New York state s law legalizing marijuana.
The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo March 31, legalizes possession of up to 3 ounces of the drug, and public and private use of it, by New Yorkers 21 and older.
Municipalities cannot opt out of that part of the law, which has already taken effect. However, the law allows them to opt out of letting cannabis retail dispensaries open, or on-site consumption licenses be issued, within their limits. Municipalities that decide to opt out must pass a local law by Dec. 31. Retail marijuana sales in New York state are slated to begin on April 1, 2022.