With the state’s approval of legal use of marijuana communities across New York have to decide whether to allow in their municipality.
At last week’s Waterville Village Board meeting, Village Clerk Gayle Barnes explained what she learned during a webinar on the topic.
This year and next will be used to hammer out details of growing, selling and consuming cannabis legally in New York state. Barnes said the first legal sales will come in early 2023.
The Village of Waterville, as do all municipalities, has two choices. The Village can opt out and not allow retail sales and/or consumption in the village.
If the Village opts in and allows for the sale and/or consumption of recreational cannabis, it will receive 3 percent sales tax of what is sold in the village.
Municipalities have to decide by the end of 2021. Doing nothing by Dec. 31 means the municipality will allow retail sales and consumption in its area.
Barnes said the webinar stated all commercial outlets need to be in business districts and cannot be in residential areas. The municipality has to be notified by the proposed business prior to the owner applying for a license.
If the Village allows commercial sales, and the towns of Marshall and Sangerfield also do, the 3 percent sales tax will be split with whichever town the village business is in. If they opt out, they do not get any of the sales tax revenue.
Board members discussed where cannabis would be…