Long Island Cannabis Advocate Calls For More Dispensaries: Patch AM

LONG BEACH, NY — While marijuana is legal for dispensaries in the state, only four localities on Long Island are permitting recreational shops, and they're all in Suffolk County.

In Long Beach, the city council has been on the opt-out list for several months. But resident and cannabis advocate Beryl Solomon-Jackowitz is encouraging council members to allow dispensaries. For now, she is offering education to the city lawmakers.

"Members of the community have spoken loudly that they're interested in a local dispensary," Solomon-Jackowitz told Patch.

She joined about two dozen residents at Tuesday night's city council meeting, hoping to get them to rethink the current opt-out status.

While Solomon-Jackowitz understands why it hasn't been a top priority, if it's now on the council's radar, "I really would love to be a resource."

For Long Beach and other municipalities, "they're nervous. It's new," she said. "It's much easier to wait and see."

Solomon-Jackowitz is hopeful that Long Beach will move to opt-in. Beyond being vocal at the hearing, she will start a letter-writing campaign to get the word out about cannabis and what it would mean for the economy.

Despite being a "realist," she still thinks there's a "good shot" for the city to reverse its dispensaries' decision. However, she said, "time is of the essence," because if "Long Beach doesn't opt-in soon, [local] entrepreneurs aren't going to be able to look at Long Beach."