Babylon Town Seeking Residents' Opinions Of Marijuana Opt-Out

TOWN OF BABYLON, NY — Town of Babylon officials are asking for residents' opinions on the new law legalizing recreational marijuana.

A new portal on the town’s website was created in order to allow resident feedback regarding the new legislation recently signed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Last month, Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act — a bill passed by state lawmakers that allows people 21 and other to use weed legally, making New York the 15th state to legalize the drug.

After the announcement, Town of Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer called a meeting with other local officials, originally stating that Long Island communities should ban sales, but he apparently changing his stance after the meeting.

No consensus was reached after the meeting.

Now, the town board wants to hear different perspectives from community stakeholders before deciding whether or not to opt-out of the sale of the substance in the Town of Babylon.

"While the adult use of marijuana is currently legal across New York State, local municipalities will have the ability to block the sale of the substance within their borders," town officials stated in a press release. "The Town Board must make its decision before the end of the year."

According to officials, if the town does decide to opt-out at the end of 2021, it can opt-in the following year. However, if the town opts in at the end of this year, they can no longer opt-out at any time.

"It was only a matter of time until we were forced with facing the legalization of marijuana in New York," Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer said. "As we work toward a decision of whether or not to allow the sale of recreational marijuana within our borders, we feel it's important to hear from our residents as there are strong, valid arguments on both sides of the debate."

Residents can find resources on the issue and submit their comments on the Town of Babylon website at townofbabylon.com/491.

What do you think? Should Town of Babylon opt-out of selling marijuana? Let us know in the comments below.