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Pleasantville to Host Forum on Allowing Cannabis Shops in Village

Abby Luby
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A public forum to consider allowing marijuana dispensaries in Pleasantville will be held Sept. 27, the first outreach by village officials seeking community feedback on having retail sales and consumption lounges within the municipality.

If the village board votes to opt-out of allowing dispensaries they can, at a later date, decide to opt-in. Municipalities must notify the state of their decision by Dec. 31. Opting out gives those in favor of cannabis retail sales the ability to force a permissive referendum, which requires a petition with signatures of at least 20 percent of the village’s enrolled voters.

There are 5,209 registered voters in the village, thus requiring 1,041 valid signatures to be collected to force a referendum, according to the Westchester County Board of Elections.

Towns and villages deciding to allow dispensaries will not be able to reverse their decision.

Many communities are waiting to see if state regulators codify rules on how marijuana can be sold legally. To date, the New York State Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management has yet to be created.

“We would ask if the village (would) waive opting in,” said Shane McGaffey, chair of Pleasantville STRONG, a group established in 2014 advocating for the prevention of drug and alcohol use among youth. “Until we know what the regulations are, we’d ask the village to let the community know ahead of time and commit to a non-binding referendum where the community gets to vote and let the Village Board know where they stand.”

At a June 2021 Village Board meeting, the issue saw a handful of residents weigh in, including Pleasantville STRONG Coalition Coordinator and parent Laura Moore, who supports opting out.

“We don’t know what the state will or won’t say, which includes marketing guidelines,” Moore said. “It’s hard to make decisions without all the details.”

Also commenting in June was Pleasantville School Superintendent Mary Fox-Alter, who emphasized how local youngsters walking in the village could be exposed to cannabis cafes and shops.

“We are a unique community of 1.7 square miles, a walkable community where our three schools are near houses of worship, where children walk to after-school religious activities,” Fox-Alter said. “Opting out will allow us to voice our uniqueness and how we are very different from larger places.”  

Former governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA) on Mar. 31, legalizing adult use of recreational marijuana in New York State. A 13 percent excise tax on sales at marijuana dispensaries will be imposed with 3 percent going to the host municipality, 1 percent to the county and 9 percent to the state. The estimated annual revenue expected by the state is $350 million once the businesses are up and running.

Pleasantville Village Trustee David Vinjamuri said if dispensaries were allowed in the village, he would want to assure sales revenue be spent on mitigating impacts of cannabis consumption on youths.

“We know the reality is marijuana use by youth impacts the development of the adolescent brain,” he said. “The branding and marketing will appeal to teens, and I want to avoid that situation if possible.”

According to the American Psychological Association, legal use of marijuana makes the drug more accessible to young people and “adolescents’ developing brains may be particularly vulnerable to lasting damage from the drug.”

If Pleasantville ultimately allows a dispensary, the village zoning laws can dictate shop location. Last year the Town of New Castle set guidelines for vape shops and recreational marijuana dispensaries requiring they be at least 2,000 feet from a school, 500 feet from a park, playground, library or religious institution and 1,000 feet from another dispensary or vape shop. New Castle is considering opting out from allowing marijuana retail sales and lounges.

The Village of Mount Kisco and the towns of Yorktown and North Castle have opted out of allowing cannabis dispensaries and consumption sites along with Eastchester, Larchmont, Ardsley, Somers, North Salem, Lewisboro and Bronxville. 

Posted on the Pleasantville STRONG website is a petition that highlights the impact local marijuana sales and consumption lounges could have on youngsters.

The group is hosting a virtual meeting this Thursday, Sept. 23 at 7:30 p.m. to review last year’s Pleasantville High School survey results reflecting student attitudes on drugs and alcohol.

The Sept. 27 village forum will be held in person at Village Hall at 7 p.m. Residents may also participate online.

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