Ted Remsnyder is reporting for Columbia-Greene Media that the town of Catskill is asking for public input on whether the town should opt-out of allowing cannabis dispensaries or on-site cannabis consumption bars. Municipalities have until December 31, to decide to take action. The Catskill Town Board will hold a special public forum on this question, on November 17, at the Robert C. Antonelli Senior Center in the village. “It’s going to be a public forum where we want to get the feelings of the community,” Catskill Town Supervisor Dale Finch said. “We want to see whether they’re for or against having dispensaries. The other part of the equation is whether or not they want to allow what you could call lounges in the community. So there are two options under the cannabis law. You can opt-out of both of them or one or the other.” Possession and use of marijuana are now legal for adults 21 and older, and the state and municipalities are not allowed to opt-out of that portion of the legislation. The board is not required to hold a public forum, but Finch said he would strongly consider the public’s will before making a decision. “Honestly, I really want to hear from the people of the town of Catskill to get opinions on it first,” he said. “It’s a revenue-driven thing through the state of New York. ...We want to see what other impacts it would have on our community. ...” Finch said the town has received only one inquiry from an outside business about establishing a cannabis dispensary in town. “It wasn’t site-specific at all,” he said. “They really just wanted to feel the town out a little bit to see if we were leaning one way or the other.” Read the full story at HudsonValley360 [dot] com.