We continue to update our Westchester readers on the decision by a number of local, Westchester County towns and villages that have decided to Opt-Out of permitting marijuana dispensiaries and cafes to open in their communities.
We have previously reported that The Town of Eastchester was first, then came the Town of Yorktown. With the help of some of our interested friends in local media, we have uncovered 8 more
They are:
Eastchester
Yorktown
Larchmont
Ardsley
Somers
North Castle
Mt. Kisco
North Salem
Lewisboro
Bronxville
Three other communities have meetings next month to hear debate and vote on opting out
Dobbs Ferry Oct. 6th. @7pm
Village of Mamaroneck will likely place it OPT OUT measure agenda in the Fall
Town of Mamaroneck is having a public meeting to express your option Sept. 1 and Sept 22
That would make 13 communities in Westchester who have decided to opt out. Some of the reasons given for opting out include :
The Town of Lewisboro –split their vote–unanimous to opt out of consumption lounges-cafes, but 3-2 to also opt out of dispensiaries. Lewisboro Supervisor Peter Parsons made an interesting point during the debate on the Town Board on July 12. Lewisboro residents will be able, at some point to order marijuana for home delivery, so why not allow at least the dispensiaries to operate, which will give the Town a share of the tax revenues.
“At the end of the day,” he said of marijuana, “I think it will be so available in town that it’s a joke to stop it being sold in town. All you’re going to do is force business out of the town,” by opting out said Parsons, who is one of the few Town Supervisors to vote in favor of dispensiaries.
This from the Village of Mt. Kisco, which explains the process. “On July 12, 2021, the Board of Trustees of the Village/Town of Mount Kisco adopted Local Law 4 -2021, entitled “Opting Out of Retail Sales of Cannabis”. The local law adopted pursuant to Cannabis Law § 131, is intended to opt out of the licensing and establishing of retail cannabis dispensaries and/or on-site cannabis consumption establishments within the Village/Town of Mount Kisco. The effect shall be that retail sales and on-site consumption establishment for cannabis shall not be permitted within the municipal limits of the Village/Town. This local law is subject to permissive referendum. This process would require a community vote on the subject if twenty percent of registered Mount Kisco voters sign a petition, which must be submitted to the Village Clerk, Ed Brancati, by the end of business on August 11, 2021. The Village would then hold a special election to vote on whether to permit cannabis sales.”
No word on Rye yet about opting out.
The Village of Scarsdale has drafted Opt Out legislation but has yet to vote or approve it.
Before the Dec 31 deadline to Opt-Out, there could be 20 Westchester Communites that want nothing to do with legal pot in their communities.
The question in 2022 will be is there enough support in the communities that Opted Out, to put the matter on the ballot for a referendum vote. 25% of each community will have to sign a petition granting the referendum vote and then a simple majority would have to approve.
For those persons in those communities who support the decision to opt out, there is nothing additional that they need to do but wait and see what happens next year.
