County Lawmakers Take Firm Stance Against Legal Marijuana

As the New York State Legislature nears a budget deadline that could include the legalization of marijuana, most Putnam County lawmakers came out swinging against the contentious proposal last week.

During a health committee meeting on March 18, lawmakers grappled with the complex topic that would allow people in the state to purchase and use marijuana once they reach the age of 21. Two invited speakers made the case why legalized marijuana could result in more harm than good while residents in attendance were evenly split over the proposal. County lawmakers overall voiced discontent with idea of legal marijuana use.

The Prevention Council of Putnam executive director Kristin McConnell said if the recreational drug becomes legal, more minors might think that marijuana is OK to use. In 2018, 35 percent of Putnam high school seniors said in a survey they have used the drug in the past 30 days, which is above the national average.

“It leads people to believe marijuana is safe,” McConnell said.

People can become dependent and even addicted to marijuana, McConnell said, adding there are some stats that show marijuana is a gateway drug to harder opioids. Marijuana can cause mental complications as well, she said.

“We really need to slow down and look at all the costs associated with this type of policy,” McConnell said.

Sheriff Robert Langley said there are real dangers associated with legalized marijuana that could lead to a sharp increase in fatal accidents. In Colorado where marijuana is legal, there was a 151 percent spike in marijuana driving accidents from 2012 to 2018, Langley said.

Homelessness and crimes would also increase, Langley asserted.

“This is going to far outweigh the tax revenue base,” he said. “We are going to pay for this… we’re going to turn this state into a drug dealer.”

Langley, a Democrat, impassionedly argued that a statewide voter referendum should decide whether or not to legalize, calling the decision too big to only be made by New York politicians.

A representative for Sen. Peter Harckham, Jordan Hardy, said at the meeting the issue was very important to the lawmaker. Harckham recently held a forum about possible legalization and is taking in all the information and opinions from his constituents, Hardy said. Harckham has yet to take a public stance on it.

Legislator Amy Sayegh said it was imperative for New York to slow down before a decision on legalization is made so law enforcement could get ahead of the possible impact of the legislation.

Legislator Neal Sullivan feared allowing marijuana use would lead to runaway costs and more bureaucracy.

“There’s a real need to slow this down,” Sullivan said.

Residents in the attendance held passionate views on the topic.

Mahopac resident Marsha Waldman, a supporter, said only through legalization can marijuana be regulated so it isn’t as potent. She questioned if marijuana is really a gateway drug, calling it a scare tactic used by people against legalization.

“I have honestly seen much more danger to people through alcohol abuse than I have ever seen through marijuana abuse,” Waldman said.

Carmel resident Scott Reing, who was for legalization, said if Putnam tries to opt out of selling marijuana, residents will drive down to Westchester County to get it anyway and Putnam will lose any revenue from sales.

Cold Spring resident Rebecah Ramirez said everyone in the room wants their kids and families to be safe, but she wanted lawmakers to do more research into the proposals and look into how other states have fared with legal marijuana, including positive aspects. Cold Spring resident Kathleen Foley wanted to know why the health committee didn’t bring experts in that would explain why legalization is the correct way to go.

Some residents were adamantly against legalization.

Carmel resident Dennis Storen asked how many people that support legalization would allow their teenagers to smoke it, which led to a brief back- and-forth in the audience.

Putnam Valley town board member Steve Mackay said the town would be passing a moratorium that would delay the opening of any marijuana shop if it became state law. He strongly recommended the county take the same action.

There are currently proposals that would either allow a county or a town to opt out of the sale of marijuana, but if the drug is decriminalized, the county must follow the state penal code.

Mahopac resident Frank Del Campo, a former Carmel supervisor, said as an educator, legalization would weaken communities.

“This is harmful,” he said.