New York Village Promises to Sue State if Cannabis Legalized

The village board of Islandia, New York unanimously voted to allow the village attorney to sue the state if cannabis is legalized, according to a Newsday report. Mayor Allan Dorman indicated that while he is not against medical cannabis use, he – and the board – strongly oppose recreational use.

“The problem is they want to legalize it for recreation. So for all you old people in the ’60s, this is not your marijuana. It’s very, very, strong. Passing this gives our attorney the authorization and the consent of this board to immediately file a lawsuit against the State of New York. … The day they pass this, the day they pass this, the next day he’s in court.” – Dorman, in the Newsweek report

Under the legalization measure being considered in the state legislature, municipalities with more than 100,000 residents would be allowed to opt out of legal cannabis sales. The Town of North Hempstead has already approved a prohibition on legal cannabis sales. At least two downstate counties are considering moratoriums or outright bans, while other towns on Long Island are also considering prohibiting legal sales.

Legalization was pulled from the Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget last week after Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie told the governor he wanted the legislation to move through the legislative process, rather than via the budget.