To the Editor:
The Board, or at least some members, is apparently considering legislation forbidding the sale of marijuana in Garden City. Recently. Trustee Chester, at an Estates Property Owners’ Association meeting a few weeks ago stated with confidence that there were enough votes already lined up to enact local legislation to opt out of allowing retail sales in the Village. Personally, I don’t care about the end result, I am more focused on the process part of this issue.
Why would some members of the Board already have decided the outcome? Where is the supporting analysis? Is this an example of the seat of the pants type reactionary decision making we can expect from this new Board on a whole host of important issues? Is this an example of hidden decision making having occurred in violation of the Open Meetings laws? Did some Board members decide in a non- public meeting or in emails? How about a discussion in public on the merits?
Virtually every poll taken in the last few years show increasing acceptance of marijuana, for both medical and recreational use. This is true nationally and in New York State.
For example, the Pew Research Center, a well-respected entity reports:
(APRIL 16, 2021)
Americans overwhelmingly say marijuana should be legal for recreational or medical use.
As more states, including Virginia and New York, continue to legalize marijuana, an overwhelming share of U.S. adults (91%) say either that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use (60%) or that it should be legal for medical use only (31%). Fewer than one-in-ten (8%) say marijuana should not be legal for use by adults.
The new survey, conducted by Pew Research Center from April 5-11, 2021, comes as congressional Democrats consider legislation that would decriminalize marijuana nationally. Views of marijuana legalization have changed very little since 2019.
A separate question that asks whether the use of marijuana should be made legal – without specifying for recreational or medical uses – has shown a steep, long-term rise in support for legalization. From 2000 to 2019, the share of Americans saying marijuana should be legal more than doubled.
There have long been age and partisan differences in views about marijuana, and that remains the case today. Very few adults of any age are completely opposed to the legalization of marijuana. However, older adults are far less likely than young people to favor marijuana legalization for recreational use.
Let’s not kid ourselves that residents of Garden City are different. We are all well aware that many residents of Garden City, regardless of age, have used or do use recreational marijuana. For example, residents who have travelled to Colorado on ski trips often return with “gummy bears.” Same with those travelling to Massachusetts and numerous other states. Lawyers, bankers, analysts, traders, doctors, contractors, stay at home parents, investment advisors, real estate brokers use it. All successful productive people. Before the legalization of retail use of marijuana by now 16 states (medical use approval if far higher at 36 states), did anyone who wanted to use marijuana really have that much trouble finding a seller? The State of New York acted to approve its open sale because most people favor it and to avoid the economic and societal costs of enforcement.
If anyone thinks that forbidding sale in Garden City will stop residents or others from using they are completely incorrect and cannot provide any logical basis for such thoughts. One will be able to travel 2 miles in any direction to purchase it. Residents will be allowed to grow up to 3 plants – regardless of anything the Village says or does. Anyone working in NYC can grab a few gummy bears or joints before they catch a train to come home.
Controlled sale is the best way to manage the use and risks. Let’s not let allow outdated unsupported biases dictate what we do here in the Village. If liquor is acceptable, it is hard to argue that marijuana should be treated differently.
Liquor cannot be bought by minors – neither can marijuana. Saying that kids are at risk from allowing venues in the Village to sell marijuana is no more logical than allowing liquor to be sold on 7th Street, in the 3 supermarkets in the Village and in Seven Eleven, places our children go to all the time. Our kids see beer in supermarkets and in convenience stores. Everyone has bottles of liquor openly displayed in their homes and beer in the refrigerator. If “seeing it” or being “exposed to it” is our measurement stick for protecting children from using something – then why do we allow liquor sales in the Village and why do people openly display it at home?
Saying “liquor is accepted by society” is not an answer. Remember, a hundred years ago this country had prohibition. There are still places throughout this country where liquor cannot be purchased.
Maybe no action should be taken unless a Village wide poll is conducted with secret balloting. This topic seems ripe for a poll before any action is voted upon. Didn’t the FABGC group campaign that it would listen to the residents before making decisions? Well now is its chance to live up to campaign rhetoric.
Brian Daughney
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