North Hempstead Bans Retail Sale Of Marijuana

The retail sale of recreational marijuana was recently banned in the Town of North Hempstead before it could be legalized in New York State.

“While we certainly understand and support the need for medical marijuana dispensaries and their place in alleviating pain and discomfort in patients, we feel that this law prohibiting the sale of recreational marijuana addresses the concerns brought to us by many residents,” North Hempstead Supervisor Judi Bosworth said in a press release.

The Town Board and Bosworth unanimously approved a law that amends Chapter 70 of the Town’s zoning code and states that “no building, structure or premises within any use district in the Town of North Hempstead may be used for the sale, distribution or offer for consumption of marijuana or marijuana products in a retail setting or environment for non-medical use.”

The Town Board unanimously approved two other laws regulating medical marijuana facilities in the Town in 2018:

• One law prohibits medical marijuana facilities from being within 1,000 feet of a school, parks, child care center or house of worship. The proposal would also restricting them from being within 500 feet of a Town residential district. Additionally, the number of dispensaries in the Town would be limited to two.
• Another law prohibits a medical marijuana dispensary from ever being used as a marijuana retail store, should recreational marijuana become legalized.

To view the new laws in their entirety, go here.

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