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This guest column was written by Cortland Deputy Mayor Wayne Schutt II. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of NY Cannabis Insider.
Dear Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy:
I am writing to you as the deputy mayor of the city of Cortland.
As deputy mayor, I was ecstatic to hear you are doing a “top-down review of organizational structure, processes, and systems with a focus on improving OCM license processing times and application-to-opening timeframes for new cannabis retailers and businesses.”
Like most other municipalities in New York State, the Cortland region has a number of illicit smoke shops.
Commissioner Moy, the first thing you can do after your 30-day audit is to simply issue licenses to all the New Yorkers who have their own locations. Opening up more dispensaries is the best solution to suffocate the thousands of illicit cannabis shops across New York State.
Also, cities like Cortland can use the funds from cannabis sales tax to redevelop their communities.
It has been over three years since the cannabis plant was legalized for adult-use. The licensing process has been more complex than necessary. As an elected leader of my city, I urge you to do the right thing and license LakeHouse Cannabis Dispensary location immediately.
Since adult-use cannabis was legalized in New York State, two brothers from the Cortland area have put blood, sweat and tears into a dispensary which is directly off Interstate 81′s exit 11.
These two New Yorkers rehabilitated a vacant building that was an eyesore for the city of Cortland in Riverside Plaza, which gets a regular stream of visitors going north and south on Interstate 81. This effort cost them over $1 million.
These two men have always wanted to continue the tradition of developing a family-owned business located in their hometown region. They have a plan to employ and empower our neighbors. They have had extensive talks on how they will give back to our community from the proceeds of this endeavor. As they have waited for a license, they have traveled the state and met almost everyone in the cannabis community.
These brothers did not seek state funding. They used their own resources to develop their dream. These boys have a passion for the cannabis plant. Yet up to this point, they feel like their dreams have been cast aside by the Office of Cannabis Management.
Cortland is a cannabis desert since it does not, and never has had, an adult-use or medical cannabis dispensary.
The LakeHouse Cannabis group has assured the city they will have tight security at their location. They have the support of our community which is eager to see them open.
They have done everything by the book, unlike others. They have regularly lobbied the state regulators.
All they need is a license.
Sincerely,
City of Cortland Deputy Mayor Wayne Schutt II
