In Gorham, Voters Opt In

On August 9, voters in the small community of Gorham overturned a town board decision that originally opted out of allowing the retail sale and consumption of cannabis in town. In other words, cannabis can now be sold and consumed there after all, reports MPNnow.

Particularly pleased with the outcome were Ann Marie and Chuck St. George, owners of St. George’s Grocery & Deli and Pizza Sangiorgi in Gorham. The couple helped lead the effort to push for a public vote.

“What was really awesome is the number of people who kept thanking us for bringing it to a public vote,” Chuck St. George told reporter Mike Murphy. “That was pretty cool.”

MPNnow reports that 153 votes were cast in opposition to the opt-out local law and 115 votes were in favor of it.

According to Chuck St. George, communities can benefit from added revenue and the promise of a safe product for consumers, said the article. Ontario County would receive 1 percent of a tax on gross cannabis sales revenues and Gorham, as well as other municipalities that allow it, would get 3 percent. Revenue also would go toward education and drug treatment programs, said the article.

The state’s portion from marijuana sales is divided three ways: 40 percent goes to education, 40 percent to a new Community Grants Reinvestment Fund, and the remaining 20 percent to drug treatment programs.

“Now that Gorham is essentially opted in, other towns in Ontario County remain opted out, including Bristol, Canandaigua, East Bloomfield, Farmington, Hopewell, Manchester, Naples, Richmond, Seneca, South Bristol, and West Bloomfield,” the article concluded.