Seems the good people of Catskill have done a little revolt and over-rode their prohibitionist, "stuck in the 1950s" Town Board! Marijuana lounges allowed in Catskill after referendum (news – 2022) Marijuana lounges allowed in Catskill after referendum CATSKILL — In an Election Day referendum, Catskill residents voted overwhelmingly to allow marijuana consumption lounges in their town, flipping a decision the Town Board made late last year. The vote appeared as a ballot measure on Tuesday and was passed by a wide margin, 61 percent to 39 percent, according to the Greene County Board of Elections. When New York legalized recreational marijuana in March 2021, it allowed town boards and city councils to "opt out" of permitting dispensaries or lounges in their communities. About half voted to not allow dispensaries, while 58 percent voted down lounges, according to the Rockefeller Institute for Government. But the state law also said voters could reverse the decision through a later ballot measure. In Catskill, leading the charge in getting enough signatures to place the measure on the ballot was resident Sara Pickens Verdon. In an interview on Friday, Verdon, a social media manager, said she looked at the matter through "a small business perspective." A marijuana lounge would be another reason for people to visit Catskill, she noted, and lounges could precipitate spending by visitors and residents at other local businesses in town. "Cannabis is legal in New York state, and we want it to work for us," she said. "We want it to fit into our communities, and we want to be in front of the change." (snipped) Granny