State Hits Southampton Over Cannabis Dispensary Dispute

New York State cannabis regulators suggested that the Town of Southampton’s rules restricting the location of pot shops should go up in smoke so local weederies can finally open for business.

The state Cannabis Control Board issued an advisory opinion stating that the town’s zoning restrictions are “unreasonably impractical,” a claim that made town officials balk and prompted a cannabis proprietor to escalate their feud by filing a grievance with the CCB.

“The town definitely feels that the CCB advisory opinion has exceeded their authority to weigh in on the zoning issues and infringed upon the town’s home rule powers and authority,” Southampton Town Attorney James Burke told Dan’s Papers.

The towns of Southampton, Riverhead, Brookhaven and Babylon are the only LI municipalities to allow state-licensed pot retailers in their jurisdiction, but rollout has been hazy since state lawmakers legalized recreational marijuana in 2021.

The Southampton flap involved Charlie Fox, which billed itself as  the first state-licensed cannabis dispensary in the Hamptons when it opened last month before town officials had a court order the shop closed.

Hamptons locals Julia Levi and James Mallios, who founded the 1,000-square-foot shop, planned to “sommelier style guidance with a focus on education and safe use with product offerings crafted to ensure control, comfort and an approachable sense of luxury.”

Instead, the owners reportedly filed a grievance with the CCB as questions linger about what it will take for the town to authorize it to open.

The dispute comes after a court recently ruled that the Town of Riverhead’s rules restricting a pot shop from opening there are too prohibitive.