They are still out there…
The state deadline for “opting out” of cannabis retail sales is approaching as Delaware County’s 19 towns and 10 villages grapple with a push from the county sheriff to get cannabis operations banned.
Under the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act, cannabis retail licenses may be granted in any municipality, unless a local law prohibiting retail dispensaries is passed by the end of the year.
In June, Delaware County Sheriff Craig DuMond wrote to every town and village clerk, urging local lawmakers to ban “cannabis related industries.”
The letter was accompanied by draft “opt-out” legislation for municipalities to personalize and adopt.
“The meager financial gains that might be reaped by having a cannabis dispensary or consumption venue in your Town/Village/City will be far outweighed by negative outcomes listed above,” he wrote. “Please take advantage of this fleeting opportunity, and choose to keep your community safe.”
“I’m just giving them their options,” DuMond said. “I think the responsible thing for any elected official to do is do due diligence.”
In his letter, DuMond cited a 2020 study from the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs that found that California’s 2016 legalization of recreational marijuana was associated with an increase in adolescent marijuana use in 2017-2018 and 2018-2019.
