Oyster Bay Town To Consider Banning Marijuana Sales

OYSTER BAY TOWN, NY — The Town of Oyster Bay is having a public hearing this week on a local law that would ban the sale of recreational marijuana in the town. Residents would still be able to use recreational marijuana in their homes, but businesses in the town would not be able to sell it, nor would on-site consumption be allowed.

The law will be discussed at the Town Board's scheduled meeting at 10 a.m. on Dec. 7 at Town Hall, located at 54 Audrey Ave. in Oyster Bay.

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act earlier this year, a provision gave local governments the authority to opt-out of the sale of recreational marijuana within their boundaries. In doing so, they also forfeit the tax revenue that would come from the sale of marijuana.

While possession and use of marijuana is now legal, the sale of the substance is not expected to begin until 2022 or 2023.

Many villages in Nassau County, including Garden City, Rockville Centre, Floral Park and Freeport, have all voted to ban the sale of recreational marijuana. The Town of North Hempstead preemptively banned the sale of marijuana in 2019. The Town of Hempstead has not yet brought forward a resolution on banning the sale.

Some Suffolk County townships are allowing the sale of recreational marijuana.

If the town government decides at a later date that it wants to opt in to the sale of marijuana, it would be allowed to do so by passing another resolution.