Town of Huntington Says No to Marijuana Dispensaries

Marijuana has been legalized in New York. The municipalities, including towns and cities, choose whether they want to opt-in or out of allowing Marijuana to be sold in dispensaries in their town. As of December 14, the Town of Huntington has opted out of selling Marijuana within its borders.

Legalizing Marijuana has been discussed for over a century. During the 1900s, the U.S already had a problem with Marijuana and were enacting many laws such as the Marijuana Tax Act (1938); this act put a tax on Marijuana if you were researching it, using it for medical use, or importing it, using it in manufacturing, and growing it. Another is the Boggs Act of 1952, which made anyone found with possession of Marijuana would be given a minimum sentence of 2-10 years and a $20,000 fine. These taxes show how much of an impact marijuana and opioids have had on the U.S.

So, what is it like here in New York? A few months ago, New York legalized the distribution and growth of Marijuana to 3 ounces per home. This is a universal law in New York. No matter what your county, town, or city says, you can legally grow Marijuana. What towns do decide are the distribution or commercial selling of Marijuana. Each town, by December 31, had to choose if Marijuana would be sold in their city and villages. Huntington, where our school is located, has opted out of selling Marijuana as of Tuesday, December 14, 2021.

We attempted to contact Supervisor Lupanaccci regarding the situation before the initial vote; I asked him what the status of this vote was, what are the arguments made over this topic, and if selling Marijuana for commercial purposes and the additional tax money was one. Yet, he did not respond, assuming he left office shortly after the vote.