Is a cannabis smoking ban coming to Glen Cove?

A proposal to ban public marijuana smoking and vaping in Glen Cove has drawn strong opinions from residents, law enforcement officials and public health advocates as officials weigh local regulation that are opposed to New York state’s legalization framework.

The City Council introduced the measure at its Nov. 25 meeting, with members agreeing to keep the public hearing open until Dec. 9 to allow additional feedback. The proposed law states that “no person shall smoke or vape any marijuana or cannabis product in any outdoor public place within the jurisdictional limits of the city.” Violations would carry a penalty of community service or a fine of up to $250.

City Attorney Tip Henderson explained that the legislation would apply to outdoor public spaces, including private businesses that make their premises accessible to the public. Henderson noted that the city’s SAFE Glen Cove Coalition which is dedicated to substance-use prevention, had convened several times to craft the language.

Detective Brian Glennon, of the Glen Cove Police Department, who also serves on the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition told council members that officers have seen a significant increase in public marijuana consumption. He likened the proposed restriction to existing laws prohibiting open alcohol consumption. “Alcohol is intoxicating. Marijuana, in a different way, is also intoxicating,” Glennon said, adding that the goal is to minimize exposure, particularly around children and families.

The discussion comes at a time when marijuana use is steadily rising nationwide. According to the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 22.3 percent of people age 12 or older — 64.2 million Americans — reported using marijuana in the past year. That figure continues an upward trend from 19 percent in 2021. The American Lung Association cautions that the health impact varies widely depending on consumption method, from smoking and vaping to edibles, tinctures, capsules and other products.

SAFE — Substance Abuse Free Environment — Glen Cove’s only alcohol and substance-use prevention agency, has expressed concern about youth use in particular, emphasizing that early exposure is harmful to adolescent brain development. The coalition is currently conducting a prevention campaign titled Keeping Glen Cove SAFE: Underage Marijuana Use, aimed at educating families about the risks. The group regularly posts updates on Facebook and on its website.

Since March 31, 2021, possessing or smoking limited amounts of cannabis is no longer a crime in New York. Under the state’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, adults 21 and older may possess up to 3 ounces of cannabis flower and 24 grams of concentrate. The state Office of Cannabis Management specifies that it is legal to smoke or vape in most places where tobacco smoking is permitted, including private homes and backyards, unless it is restricted by lease agreements.

Cannabis cannot be consumed in motor vehicles, restaurants, businesses, cigar or hookah bars, federal property, public housing, most parks or state beaches.

This is not Glen Cove’s first attempt to curb smoking-related activity. In July 2023, the city enacted a zoning law limiting where new smoke and vape shops could open, citing youth access to tobacco, vaping products and drug paraphernalia as a pressing concern.

Nonetheless, the latest proposal has generated vocal community reaction — much of it on social media. The Herald polled residents on the proposed law on the Glen Cove Neighbors Facebook page, which drew sharply contrasting views.

“I personally agree with it,” Thomas Michael Jr. wrote. “I do not want to smell it and I do not want my kids seeing it. You can smoke on your property and in your yard just like you can drink alcohol.”

While some agreed with the proposal, others saw inconsistencies. “If you are going to ban pot in public places,” Sari Berkowitz wrote, “then alcohol needs to be banned in parks, ball fields, etc.”

Several residents questioned whether the measure addresses the city’s most pressing problems. “I think there are greater issues that Glen Cove should be looking at,” Leslie Lempel-Ferrante wrote.

The proposed law would be more restrictive than state rules, raising broader questions about municipal authority and enforcement. Supporters argue that it would protect public spaces and children, while critics contend that it would create a stigma, invite selective enforcement and conflict with statewide legalization.

“Cannabis is legal in New York State. Glen Cove does not get to selectively rewrite state law simply because some officials are uncomfortable with it,” Pat Kern wrote. She called the ban discriminatory. “If cigarettes and cigars are still allowed in public, then targeting cannabis alone is discriminatory on its face. The City is choosing to single out one legal activity while ignoring others that are objectively more harmful to public health.”

The City Council will accept public submissions until Dec. 9, when deliberations will resume.