NARROWSBURG — The Town Board of Tusten gathered Tuesday night, October 12, for their monthly regular town board meeting. Supervisor Ben Johnson opened the meeting with opportunity for public hearing, giving way to many local voices on the topic of cannabis and its place in the Town of Tusten.

In accordance with the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA), adults 21 and older are legally allowed to use and possess cannabis within the State of New York. This cannot be opted-out of. However, municipalities are given the option by the state to opt-out of cannabis retail and on-site consumption within their respective districts.

This debate took center stage at the Town Board Meeting’s public hearing.

One attendee in favor of opting-in argued that, when it comes to cannabis, it could be a great economic booster for the town.

“This is a multi-billion dollar industry we’re looking at,” said Jennifer, a Tusten resident. “We are behind in New York ... we’ve actually missed a lot of opportunity, but this is our opportunity to just catch right up and take the lead.”

A number of others rose to match her sentiment in the push for the town to opt-in and take advantage of the budding industry that has al- ready taken root in other states, such as Maine and California.

Other residents said that opting-out would mean denying Tusten the three percent in tax revenue and giving that money to another town.

However, there were other attendees of the meeting who did not agree and wished for the Board to opt- out, citing concerns over health and the possibility for abuse.

Another man expressed anguish, saying his son lost his life in an ongoing battle with drug addiction and he believed marijuana was a gateway drug.

As it stands from Tuesday’s meeting, two board members were in favor of opting out and two were in favor of opting in.

Supervisor Ben Johnson abstained from the deciding vote. The automatic resolution is to follow state law and opt-in.

However, the town still holds the option to opt-out of allowing on-site consumption and dispensaries of cannabis until the dead- line, December 31, 2021.

Water System Worries

Board members also discussed the Narrowsburg Water Improvement Project. This was also met with opposition from a local resident who expressed his concern for rising water rates, fearing he will soon no longer be able to afford living in the area.

Supervisor Johnson expressed the dire need for the project saying, “We have a water system that is not capable of fighting fires in this district. That right there should make people go ‘What the hell is going on?’” He continues, “We don’t have the [water] pressure. The [water] lines aren’t big enough.”

According to Supervisor Johnson, this lack of water pressure and overuse is due to an influx of users of the water system within the district.

The Board’s decision to move forward with the project remains.