Retail Cannabis Opt-Out Gains Steam For Reversal

LONG BEACH, NY — The city of Long Beach's opt-out of permitting cannabis retail shops sent residents to streets in protest.

They got hundreds of signatures seeking a reversal by the city council to the controversial decision.

On Friday, many of the grassroots group dropped off the petition at City Hall.

Anne Flomenhaft, one of the organizers, said they gathered 655 signatures out of 1,300 required that would have automatically triggered a referendum in the next general election.

"The law stipulates that if you collect signatures and you hand them in, the city council is still within its rights to put the question to a referendum anyway," Flomenhaft told Patch. "They can always just opt-in by a simple vote."

The city council's next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 10.

"We definitely have the goal of reversing the opt-in," she said. "We're not sure if it's going to take one meeting or a bunch of meetings."

Flomenhaft said they have more than 20 Long Beach volunteers who are focused on the issue.

"We are going to make our voices heard until we see some change," she said.

They have several reasons for their passion about the city opting to allow cannabis dispensaries, starting with Long Beach getting a three-percent revenue from the taxes.

"Can we finally end the War on Drugs and make right on this issue by giving people the most impacted by the War on Drugs an ability to have a better life?" Flomenhaft said.

Additionally, she pointed out that opt-in could create as many as 7,000 union jobs.