Riverhead’s proposed retail marijuana sales ban goes up in smoke

Riverhead won’t be opting out of retail marijuana sales and lounges.

A local law that would have banned retail marijuana sales and use in the Town of Riverhead failed to gain support of a majority of the Riverhead Town Board today.

Supervisor Yvette Aguiar and Councilman Ken Rothwell cast the only two votes in support of the “opt-out” law that would have banned the retail sale of marijuana as well as marijuana cafes and lounges.

Council members Tim Hubbard, Catherine Kent and Frank Beyrodt voted against the proposed law.

Rothwell urged the board not to “put the cart before the horse.” He reminded them that the town can opt in later, “after law enforcement officers have been trained” to be able to detect and assess motorists who are high on marijuana.

“Let’s watch the effects of surrounding towns,” Rothwell said. “Let’s wait and observe.”

He also expressed doubt the tax revenues to the town will materialize as anticipated.

Aguiar said she is very concerned about a number of aspects about the marijuana legislation enacted this spring — from licenses delivery services to the marketing of marijuana gummies packaged to look like candy.

The town needs more time, she said. She noted the retail sale of recreational marijuana is opposed by the Suffolk supervisors association, members of the clergy and by addiction treatment agencies.

“I have to vote for what I think at the end of the day is the best for Riverhead,” Hubbard said.

He pointed to the controversy that surrounded the prospect of a medical marijuana dispensary in Riverhead several years ago.

“People jump to conclusions,” Hubbard said. “Medical marijuana has been the most benign business in the Town of Riverhead. You don’t even know they exist,” he said.

“If we don’t allow it, the black market is going to thrive in the Town of Riverhead. And that’s not where we want people to buy it,” Hubbard said. “That’s where you have issues.” Legal marijuana will be grown in controlled environment, he said. Black market marijuana can be coming from anywhere,” he said. “You don’t know what you’re getting.”

Beyrodt said for him, the vote comes down to being able to regulate where and when marijuana can be sold in Riverhead. “We can control this business in our town,” he said. “I can’t see negating the public hearings and survey results,” Beyrodt said.

Prior to the board’s vote on the resolution, the board heard comments from several more residents, both for and against the ban.

Had the law been adopted it would not have taken effect for 45 days, to provide residents opposed to the ban an opportunity to file a petition forcing a referendum on the law in the November election.