Massena officials set public hearing for local cannabis law

Bob Beckstead, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
·3 min read

Sep. 22—MASSENA — The Massena Village Board is ready to take public comments on its cannabis regulations.

Members have scheduled a public hearing for their next meeting at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17.

Code Enforcement Officer Aaron T. Hardy has been working on updates to the local law governing cannabis operations within the village limits. He has been working with Mayor Gregory M. Paquin, Police Chief Jason M. Olson and others to finalize the document before presenting it for public comments.

"A lot of great input from everybody," Hardy told trustees in May. "I think we're close to having something that's fair to the community and doesn't exclude a whole lot, but better reins things in a little bit."

Under the village legislation, cannabis retail stores/locations and cultivation facilities would only be permitted within certain zones — Central Business District, Commercial Transition District and Commercial Auto-Related District.

"No Cannabis retail stores / locations or cultivation shall be permitted to operate at any parcel that contains road frontage located within the Cannabis exclusion parcel list," according to the local law.

Dispensaries would be prohibited from operating in several areas under the draft code, including Andrews Street, Church Street, West Orvis Street, Water Street, Glenn Street, Phillips Street, Pratt Place, East Orvis Street between Main Street and Bayley Road, Main Street between Maple Street and state Route 37, Center Street east of Main Street to Park Avenue, and Maple Street east of Main Street to Center Street.

All cannabis retail stores, retail locations and cultivation facilities would be required to have a New York cannabis license, as well as planning board approval before selling or cultivating any cannabis items.

"The sale of any cannabis products outside of a licensed Cannabis retail store / retail location is prohibited. Outdoor cultivation facilities are prohibited," the draft reads.

Violating any provisions of the local law could lead to a fine not exceeding $250, a term of imprisonment not exceeding 15 days, or both penalties.

"Each day the offense is continued shall constitute a separate and distinct violation hereunder," the local law reads. "These penalties shall be in addition to any other penalty provided by law. The Village may also seek injunctive relief to prevent the continued violation of this article."

Trustees had adopted a resolution in October 2021 that authorized cannabis dispensaries in the village, but not on-site consumption. However, those operating in the village have not received official authorization by the state to do business.

In Massena's case, there's the question of land ownership. In addition to dispensaries, other businesses have also set up tobacco smoke shops in the long disputed "Massena Square mile," a tract of land to which the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe has laid claim.

Two dispensaries in the village were among seven unlicensed cannabis shops raided in June. Others were located in Potsdam, Canton and Gouverneur.

The operation included sending underage police operatives into the stores who bought cannabis without being checked for identification, officials said. Police said from the seven shops they arrested 10 people and seized a total of 66 grams of psilocybin, 27 pounds of cannabis concentrates, 63.2 ounces of cannabis flower, 18,368 flavored nicotine vapes and $37,513 in U.S. currency.