TOWN OF ULSTER, N.Y. — City leaders anticipate to permit the retail sale of leisure marijuana in designated areas of Ulster however choose out of the on-site consumption provision of the state’s hashish legalization regulation.
Ulster Supervisor James Quigley mentioned at the latest assembly of the City Board that retail gross sales most likely shall be allowed within the city’s Regional Industrial and Freeway Industrial districts.
“That might imply Ulster Avenue from the town of Kingston line to the Saugerties line, and Route 28 from the Thruway to the city of Kingston line,” Quigley mentioned.
A decision to ban on-site consumption of marijuana is predicted to be on the board’s Nov. 18 agenda. If authorised, it could be topic to a public referendum if a petition calling for one is submitted inside 45 days.
Beneath New York’s marijuana legalization regulation, signed in September, individuals age 21 and older can now possess as much as 3 ounces of hashish or 24 grams of hashish concentrates within the state, they usually can smoke marijuana wherever it’s permissible to smoke tobacco. Laws for the retail sale of marijuana in New York nonetheless are being labored out.
Municipalities within the state have till the top of the 12 months to choose out of permitting marijuana retailers inside their borders. Communities that allow the deadline move with out motion won’t be allowed to ban such retailers however nonetheless shall be allowed to control the place they will function.
Throughout a public hearing last month, 4 folks spoke in favor of permitting the retail sale of marijuana in Ulster, however none talked about whether or not their assist included on-site consumption.
Quigley mentioned after the latest board assembly that opting out of on-site consumption is partially based mostly on concern that police don’t have a option to measure the intoxication degree of drivers suspected to be below the affect of marijuana.
“Once we get into discussions with regulation enforcement and we speak about how … to check for impaired driving from this consumption … there are not any exams,” the supervisor mentioned.
Quigley mentioned the choice to incorporate Route 28 as an eligible space for marijuana gross sales was based mostly on a medical marijuana enterprise already working there.
“I used to be advised by Albany that medical marijuana firms shall be given the flexibility to get a desire on getting the leisure [sale] licenses,” he mentioned.
Whereas municipalities in New York can determine whether or not to permit the sale of marijuana of their borders, the state Hashish Management Board shall be accountable for issuing the retail licences.
