Bay Ridges Elected Leaders Send Strong Message To Governor Opposing Cannabis Dispensary

BAY RIDGE — A TRIUMVIRATE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS REPRESENTING BAY RIDGE on Monday hosted a press conference urging Gov. Hochul and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) to reject the proposed opening of a cannabis dispensary at 8412 3rd Ave. in Brooklyn. Assemblyman Michael Tannousis (R, C-64th A.D) hosted the outdoor conference alongside Assemblyman Alec Brook-Krasny (R, C-46th A.D.) and Congressmember Nicole Malliotakis (R-11th Congressional District), having already sent a letter to the governor and OCM with the same message.

“Our state continues to be an unaffordable and unsafe place to live as we continue to see our quality of life diminish. The fact that this cannabis dispensary is potentially legally permissible in an area where there are five nearby schools and two nearby houses of worship (totaling 8,000 students) is a prime example of how broken and out of touch our state government truly is,” said Tannousis, who applauded Community Board 10 for making the right decision in this instance.

Likewise, Brook-Krasny said, “With the community board already voting against this proposal, it should be clear that New Yorkers do not want these dispensaries in their communities within walking distance of their schools. Minors have already been far too exposed to cannabis in recent years, and approving this new facility would only further this dangerous trend.”

The dispensary would be a 6,000-square-foot storefront encompassing three addresses: 8412 (the main address), 8414 and 8416 3rd Ave. and is an area of heavy foot traffic that students from several nearby schools and houses of worship use daily.

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