In March 2021, New York State legalized the recreational use of marijuana for adults 21 or older. The State is giving municipalities until December 31, 2021 to opt out of allowing marijuana retail sales and/or public use in their municipality. Therefore, there are two parts the Village of Lindenhurst must consider to draft a local law for our municipality: (1) do we allow or opt out of allowing marijuana dispensaries to open within the Village, and (2) do we allow or opt out of allowing marijuana use in public spaces (i.e., restaurants, bars, parks)? If the Village does decide to opt out at the end of 2021, it can opt in the following year. However, if the Village opts in at the end of 2021, we can no longer optout at any time.
As the Village Board works toward a decision on these matters regarding recreational marijuana within our borders, we feel it is important to hear from our residents, as there are strong, valid arguments on both sides of the debate.