Slow burn on pot rollout
A pot dispensary called “Strain Stars” is the only one on LI, set to open in East Farmingdale. Credit: Johnny Milano
The New York State website for the Office of Cannabis Management advises new marijuana users to "start low and go slow" when consuming the drug, now legal for recreational use. Unfortunately, this same "start low and go slow" approach applies to the state's rollout of licensing commercial dispensaries.
Only 12 dispensaries are officially operating statewide, none on Long Island. Regulators plan to authorize a maximum of 20 dispensaries in Nassau and Suffolk counties, prioritizing successful business owners with marijuana-related convictions or connections. Despite nearly 40 businesses obtaining temporary licenses, only one dispensary location is set to open its doors in East Farmingdale this month.
To address social equity concerns, the state established a fund to lease shops to licensees impacted by past marijuana convictions. But promised assistance hasn't materialized. And concerns remain regarding whether licensing requirements adequately benefit those in need. In a letter sent to regulators and the governor's office last month, a coalition of prospective dispensary operators described how the state prevented them from choosing their preferred storefront location, instead offering them more expensive locations with high renovation costs.
The situation will not be getting easier anytime soon for small dispensary owners. The Cannabis Control Board, responsible for license approvals and regulations, voted last month to allow major cannabis firms involved in the state's medical marijuana program to enter the recreational market in December, two years ahead of schedule. That will directly pit smaller dispensaries, run by individuals with prior marijuana convictions, against large companies that dominate the industry in other states, leaving little room for small players to thrive.
The program's bumpy start allowed an estimated 1,400 illegal dispensaries to operate openly throughout New York City. While consumers might assume these shops are legit, they are unregulated; their product is not checked for quality assurance. And some are opening in close proximity to schools, leading to sales to underage individuals. Zoning regulations on Long Island are the only deterrent to illegal smoke shops popping up across the region.
The lack of guidance from the Cannabis Control Board has left local officials scrambling to find ways to effectively close down these illegal smoke shops. Meanwhile, marijuana farmers with few legal buyers for their crops are losing money on their investment in this new market.
The state fumbling its licensing program is a serious concern. More worrisome is the lack of focus on the potential health risks caused by exposure to pot's secondhand smoke, especially for children living in a home with adults who use it frequently. There also should be more consumer information about lung damage, heightened risk of heart attacks, and an increased likelihood of developing social anxiety disorders and schizophrenia from use of the drug.
Two years after New York legalized recreational marijuana, its rollout is still in a haze.
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