SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News)– A few hours ago, members of the Syracuse Common Council and Syracuse Corporation Counsel met to discuss action toward unlicensed cannabis businesses. Every shop currently selling marijuana is selling without a license. Corporation Counsel Susan Katzoff believes not many people know this is the case.
“People who go to these establishments believe that they are acting within the law,” Katzoff said. “I believe also that they trust the product they are getting is regulated. The fact is, it’s not.”
Katzoff said the goal will be to shut down businesses that are unlicensed immediately. Katzoff added that they would try to keep businesses who aren’t exclusively selling cannabis open, but they’d have to close the cannabis part.
There are currently no rules or punishments in place for the unlicensed selling of cannabis in Central New York. The Corporation Counsel is suggesting that the Common Council allows for a violation-based system that would allow places who sell illegally to close after three violations.
Many common councilors expressed their concerns that the community has nothing in place to shut down the spread of fentanyl as well.
“I think that’s a different issue in the sense that yes certainly there are criminal aspects of that which can come into play, and police can arrest people, and they can confiscate that as part of an arrest,” Katzoff said. “I think the issue there becomes a testing issue.”
Katzoff said the meeting was just one little step in the right direction that could help the Corporation Council solve many problems with drugs in the city of Syracuse.
Here’s a look into how the meeting played out: