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Council, Mayor’s Work On Marijuana Is Really Only Just Beginning

There were a good many city residents who were disappointed by last week’s news that the Jamestown City Council wouldn’t opt out of a state law allowing marijuana dispensaries and consumption sites.

One reason for people’s uneasiness with dispensaries and consumption sites is the way the state flubbed the creation of rules and regulations governing them. We share that uneasiness, but there is also a good deal of local control over where consumption sites can be located through local zoning laws.

And while council President Tony Dolce, R-Ward 2, cited the inability to override an expected veto from Mayor Eddie Sundquist before the end of the month as a chief reason for not pursuing the opt-out local law, Dolce also mentioned an even more important reason not to opt out — there are local businesspeople who need ability to become a dispensary to keep them afloat.

“I’ve met with some business people who want this pushed forward,” he said. “Some businesses are looking to get into (being a dispensary).”

Ultimately, the city needed to come down on the side of its small businesses who have taken a hit due to both New York state’s changes in how contracts are handled and the continued consolidation of the pharmaceutical market. That decision also means the city will need to put in the work to make sure marijuana sales and consumption sites in Jamestown are handled in a way that addresses the unease many Jamestown residents feel.

The work for the council and management staff is only beginning.

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