Nassau County residents sound alarm over marijuana store opening on Queens border

NEW HYDE PARK, Lengthy Island (WABC) — A vacant Citi Financial institution in Queens will quickly rework to a legally-owned marijuana store. Nonetheless, simply throughout a bustling Union Turnpike in bordering New Hyde Park below the city of North Hempstead, hashish outlets should not allowed.

Robert Thomas of New Hyde Park makes up among the North Hempstead city residents who’re towards opening Herb Hub LLC dispensary contained in the empty constructing.

“Myself, I am simply completely towards it. It may trigger accidents, it will trigger issues, particularly children get out of college. It is a family-oriented neighborhood,” Thomas stated.

There are comparable senitments shared by North Hempstead City Supervisor Jennifer DeSena.

“To place a retailer proper right here, proper throughout from the city of North Hempstead flies within the face of the regulation, the regulation that gave us the power to decide on to choose out of promoting business marijuana,” stated DeSena.

It isn’t simply North Hempstead – all three cities in Nassau County selected to choose out of permitting authorized hashish outlets after New York State made it authorized in 2021.

“If we do not do something to guard that, we’ll have a hall of marijuana shops on the sting of the town right here looking and beckoning the youngsters of Nassau County to come back and store right here,” DeSena added.

With this second marijuana store set to open within the space, North Hempstead’s city supervisor says she is asking on Governor Kathy Hochul for assist.

“I wish to ask Governor Hochul to respect the desires of her suburban constituents as a lot as the town constituents and to now permit business marijuana inside a one-mile buffer of these areas that legally selected to choose out of promoting business marijuana,” DeSena stated.

A couple of mile down alongside the Nassau Border on Hillside Avenue close to Langdale Road in Queens, Inexperienced Flower Wellness simply opened on February 10. The managers say marijuana outlets have a foul stigma.

“I am a father myself. I’ve an adolescent, so, and I dwell in Nassau County, however I’m concerned on this enterprise for a motive as a result of it is a state-certified enterprise,” stated Sid Patel.

“If individuals are actually involved, it is what’s being offered on the road that must be a priority. It isn’t lab-tested,” added Kush Patel.

Sid Patel says there are various checks and balances put by the state to verify any product shouldn’t be being handed to youngsters or anyone youthful than 21 – like a safety guard on the entrance door to verify ID.

DeSena says that isn’t sufficient.

“Anybody can get a pretend ID or go into the shop or ask somebody to enter the shop and purchase marijuana for them,” she says.

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