Legal Weed Should Turn Downtown Into Amsterdam, Candidate Says

WEST VILLAGE, NY — Phelan Dante Fitzpatrick, a candidate for City Council District 3 in Lower Manhattan, says he wants to make the west side of Manhattan its own "version of Amsterdam through Cannabis tourism."

The operator of two small businesses in the Lower Manhattan district was inspired in part to run for office after he had to furlough dozens of employees in March 2020, setting off a period of time where he felt the current elected officials didn't do enough to help small businesses in places like the West Village, Hell's Kitchen, and SoHo.

Fitzpatrick believes that embracing the legalization of marijuana in New York City can be a major part of helping the local economy bounce back from the lows of the coronavirus pandemic.

"With cannabis coming to New York, I think this can be really huge — especially for new businesses and vacant storefronts with the arrival of cannabis operators here in the city," Fitzpatrick told Patch.

Fitzpatrick's plan with marijuana in Lower Manhattan included dispensary tours, "bud and breakfast" meals, ensuring a meaningful amount of licenses getting granted to companies owned by Black and Brown people, and clauses that would require cannabis businesses in Lower Manhattan to employ community residents.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed legislation in April 2021 making weed legal in New York, but many of the changes didn't immediately go into effect. Adults who are 21 and up can smoke or otherwise consume cannabis and possess up to 3 ounces and businesses can apply for licenses to sell recreational marijuana, grow it or set up "consumption lounges."

Selling marijuana without a state license is still illegal and licenses for legal dispensaries to sell weed won't be granted overnight. Experts say that the licenses will take at least nine months to go through — if not longer.

"Finally, marijuana legalization in New York has puff-puff-passed. After decades of treating this natural plant as if it posed the same dangers as heroin, we can now embrace its medicinal and recreational benefits," Fitzpatrick wrote in a news release about his cannabis plan. "If we implement the new marijuana laws the right way, they can be powerful tools for equity and economic recovery."

Fitzpatrick said he understands that some people might have apprehensions about bringing bigger marijuana business into the district, but he says the positives outweigh the negatives.

"For people in the district, who have qualms about it, they have to understand that there are dozens of other states who have taken similar steps and you don’t hear of any marijuana-related crimes happening unless we’re talking about black and brown people who have been arrested," he told Patch.

Fitzpatrick also added District 3 and the city as a whole has a seemingly endless number of bars, and that marijuana doesn't cause near to the same problems that can happen with alcohol.

Here's a full breakdown of what Fitzpatrick envisions his plan for cannabis in Lower Manhattan if elected to City Council.

"1. Give Way: Make the West Side of Manhattan our Version of Amsterdam through Cannabis Tourism - From Hell’s Kitchen to the West Village, the West Side is already a year-round hub for nightlife and entertainment. With coordination between the NYC Economic Development Corporation, local Business Improvement Districts, and advisory boards of business owners and community leaders, we can create a framework for success in cannabis tourism.

We must channel New York’s unrivaled energy to create dynamic experiences like dispensary tours, “puff and paint” classes, bud and breakfasts, spa-like retreats, cannabis crawls, social lounges, and supper clubs. We should look to states like Colorado and California as models for how to make the most out of this budding industry (pun intended).

2. Give Rise: Grant Cannabis Licenses to Businesses and Communities Most Negatively Impacted by Draconian Drug Laws - We must ensure a meaningful number of licenses are granted to New York companies that are owned by people of color and others who have been negatively impacted by mairjuana’s criminalization. We also need to ensure that these companies have diverse boards and executive leadership as well as meaningful plans to attract and retain diverse managers, staff, and vendors. An intentional focus on diversity is the only way to repair the vicious cycle of poverty and the school-to-prison pipeline that have devastated our Black and Hispanic communities.

For example, San Francisco’s Cannabis Equity Program is designed to lower barriers to cannabis licensing for those hardest hit by the War on Drugs. The Equity Program does this by enabling verified Equity Applicants to apply for a cannabis permit and waiving the $5,000 permit fee. In addition, Equity Applicants can benefit from an incubator program that provides technical assistance for new business owners or rent-free space.

3. Give Back: Ensure Corporate Social Responsibility - With millions of dollars at stake, we can’t allow social responsibility to fall by the wayside. We need to ensure that the companies in our communities that profit from the legalization re-invest in the neighborhoods that have been torn apart by discriminatory laws and police enforcement. License agreements should include clauses to employ our neighbors, invest in the vibrancy of our community, and ensure the streets lined with their storefronts are clean and safe for our families.

Other cities and states have failed to put in place these important assurances and have suffered as a result. That is why I’ve proudly signed the Cannabis Equity Commitment and encourage other candidates and leaders to do the same to hold ourselves and our colleagues accountable."