A Statement from Borough President Vito Fossella on Granting of New Dispensary Licenses in Midst of Illegal Smoke Shop Epidemic
Editor’s note: To clarify, there are only TWO legal dispensaries (and two delivery services) very recently opened on Staten Island, not three. Readers may be interested to learn about the reasons why cannabis should be legal for recreation, in the exact same way as tobacco and alcohol. Unlike alcohol, tobacco has no recognized medical use and can cause harm to human health, however, it is legal to purchase for anyone over the age of 21. Alcohol, conversely, has proven to be harmful in large doses, but it does have several accepted medical uses, and it, too, is legal for adults to purchase and consume in all of the states. The DEA has now rescheduled cannabis to Schedule III, with a low potential for abuse and addiction, as well as low toxicity.
As stated in the DEA’s factsheet about marijuana, “No deaths from overdose of marijuana have been
reported.” And according to research from the NIH, “Risk of death due to cannabis toxicity is negligible. However, cannabis can prove fatal in circumstances with risk of traumatic physical injury, or in individuals with cardiac pathophysiologies.” In that study, the only deaths reported were those involving traumatic injury, such as a fall, where the person had coincidentally ingested cannabis. “Polydrug use was evident in most cases.., with acute drug toxicity the prevalent underlying cause ” In this study, data was collected in every situation where someone had died and their blood test revealed cannabis in their system. These cases were then reported to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths (NPSAD), which tracks deaths from all abused substances (illicit drugs).
In addition, the legal dispensaries are plagued by rampant fraud with regard to their testing, both for toxins and contaminants as well as the strength (measured by percentage of THC) of their products.
BP Fossella’s statement:
Illegal pop-up pot shops are plaguing Staten Island neighborhoods.
It is like “whack-a-mole”; when authorities close one shop, two or three more open to take its place. For the three currently operating legal dispensaries, there are over 100 illegal smoke shops infesting the most frequented corners of Staten Island, especially those frequented by families and schoolchildren. Existing law enforcement resources are not adequate to contain the proliferation of these pot shops, thinly disguised as “convenience” stores or “gift” shops.
Many Staten Islanders, frankly, have had enough of these smoke shops. Most recently, residents of West Brighton learned that two viable, respectable businesses were being removed from their storefronts to make way for a new cannabis dispensary. These major, community-altering changes are being made in the midst of a massive proliferation of illegal smoke shops overwhelming and infecting street corners across the island.
It is important to note that this is not unique to Staten Island. Other communities across the five boroughs are, frankly, fed up with this proliferation.
We propose that the Office of Cannabis Management should cease granting new licenses to cannabis dispensaries, until the Sheriff’s Office and other local authorities have padlocked and permanently closed each and every illegal smoke shop on Staten Island.
This is common sense for those on Staten Island who do not wish to see their neighborhoods besieged by rampant illegal smoke shops.
Banner Image: Cannabis growing operation. Image Credit – CRYSTALWEED cannabis
BP Vito Fossella
The Office of the Borough President has a responsibility to advocate for the entire Borough of Staten Island and all its residents, and represents the Borough's interests within City government. The Borough President communicates directly with the Mayor and the City Council to emphasize Staten Island’s budget priorities. In addition, the Borough President is responsible for reviewing major land use decisions and proposing sites for city facilities within the Borough. As the chair of the Borough Board, the Borough President leads Staten Island’s City Council delegation and Community Board chairs in the process of reviewing and approving the transfer of public properties to private use. The Borough President’s Office houses the Borough's Topographical Bureau, which maintains the borough’s official maps and assigns street addresses. The Borough President monitors the delivery of city services on Staten Island, and acts as a liaison between residents and city agencies when problems arise to devise solutions. The Borough President is also responsible for appointing one member to the Panel for Educational Policy and one member to the City Planning Commission, as well as some 150 members to Staten Island’s three community boards.