Jamestown’s shuttering of two businesses selling marijuana illegally last week once again raises questions about how New York state has handled its foray into legalization of the drug.
The businesses had not yet received licenses to sell cannabis from the state Office of Cannabis Management and did not comply with a cease-and-desist order from the Jamestown Department of Development when a complaint that the businesses were selling cannabis was filed two weeks ago. So, the city took action.
“I fully support legal cannabis and the potential for legal dispensaries in Jamestown,” said Mayor Eddie Sundquist in a statement. “However, these businesses must comply with the law and have a license from the proper authorities. The illegal selling of a highly-regulated drug out of a storefront is completely unacceptable. Under my administration, we will enforce the law and shut down any business that is selling cannabis illegally.”
City officials did the right thing, of course. But at the same point it’s hard not to blame business owners for wanting to step into a void in the marketplace. People want to buy marijuana. Business owners want to sell it to those customers. But state-backed dispensaries likely won’t be able to open for at least another month and likely sometime in 2022. The state received more than 900 applications for its 150 licenses. Publication of regulations from the Office of Cannabis Management still hasn’t happened and the state Dormitory Authority still hasn’t secured locations for the 150 stores, a problem because the state Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act requires the authority to select, lease and build the retail stores using $200 million in social equity funding from the state.
In other words, this is a fine mess the state has dropped on the doorsteps of its cities.
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