MIDDLETOWN – Under state law that allows the sale and use of small amounts of recreational marijuana, cities are allowed to opt out of allowing dispensaries to be established within their boundaries.
Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano has proposed the common council do just that.
“I support expunging some kid that ruined his life at 18 by getting caught with a joint in regards to employment records, but this is not the overall law that we are addressing on the local level,” he said. “It is the retail and the café sales – on-site sales and consumption – whether it is a good fit for Middletown. I don’t think so, so for the three percent of sales money, it is like a blood money, I don’t think it is worth the city dignifying the program for a few dollars.”
Right now, the state has yet to promulgate rules for dispensaries to be established and that will take 18 months, state officials say. In the meantime, it is legal to possess small amounts of pot, but there is no place in the state where it can be legally purchased.
