Sales of recreational marijuana remains illegal in Walden. While village trustees had little trouble reaching consent on that question, the matter of enforcing the law is another matter.
At last week’s village board meeting, trustees reaffirmed their earlier stance - though it is now legal in New York State, sale of recreational marijuana remains illegal in the village. But they spent much time wondering how to enforce the law.
A state law that legalizes the sale of marijuana products went into effect in 2022 but municipalities had the option of opting out if they so choose. Most area municipalities, including Walden, voted to opt while expressing concern that marijuana consumption could be a gateway for something more dangerous.
“I just feel like we have such a small village and I know there are towns around us that have opted in. The regulation is still questionable,” said Village Trustee Patricia Maher. “….So for my knowledge of the situation and everything we did previously, I’m still 100 percent in favor of opting out.”
Deputy Mayor Willie Carley agreed.
“I still stand on opting out. I just believe that it is a gateway and I believe that other things do arise from it. And I stand on that. I don’t believe there’s a financial gain that is going to put the village at such a high tax bracket where we’re going to bring in millions and millions of dollars,” Carley said.
Trustee Becky Pearson said she, too, favors the earlier decision to opt out, but has concerns that the law is not being enforced in the village.
“I have people calling me, texting me saying what’s going on in some of the shops,” Pearson said. “You just sit outside, young kids are going in, coming back out. You can’t buy cigarettes because they’re underage. So an issue is happening here with some of our local businesses that we really need to address and I’m fine with opting out that my issue was not even opting back into that but it is the enforcement of something happening. It’s happening here and it’s happening in more than one shop here. So I think either we have our police do something or we take action and do something else.”
Village Manager John Revella said laws prohibiting the sale of cannabis are difficult to enforce. Cannabis laws are regulated by the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) which supersedes village law. The OCM, he added, is not doing proper regulation.
“Everyone wants to do something in force. It’s just been difficult,” Revella said. “The police are aware and they’ll keep pushing as much as they can.”
Mayor John Ramos said the number one concern is illegal cannabis shops.
“I have a tendency of agreeing that if Albany can’t get it straight, the commission, the OCM can’t get it straight, the village of Walden should not be a victim to that.,” Ramos said. “So I’m gonna, I will stay steadfast on opting out here and in the village of Walden.”