BETHEL, NY — Five entrepreneurs have applied to open a cannabis shop in the Town of Bethel.

New York State opened its application period in early October for adult-use recreational cannabis shops. The retail applicants must notify municipalities as part of the application process, which is overseen by the state’s Office of Cannabis Management.

The multiple retail applications were read aloud at the October 25 town board meeting. But while an applicant’s notification to the town represents a step forward in the process, it does not mean final approval of the retail location. 

“Every time I come to a meeting someone is trying to sell it,” a resident told the town board. “Is there going to be one on every corner?”

There is no limit on the number of cannabis retail stores allowed in Bethel as long as they comply with existing zoning codes. Applications will remain open until December 18.

Bethel supervisor Daniel Sturm told the River Reporter he doesn’t know when a store might open its doors because the town must wait until the state goes through its own approval process.

Brick-and-mortar retail dispensaries must adhere to local zoning laws. A dispensary cannot be on the same road or within 500 feet of school grounds, as defined in state education law, or a community facility. A dispensary cannot be on the same street or avenue or within 200 feet of a building occupied exclusively as a house of worship.

Using marijuana at dispensaries will be limited to those that possess an on-site consumption license.

More shops, more revenue for town

More cannabis shops mean more revenue for the town. Marijuana sales are the only way Sullivan County towns can reap local sales taxes. And with a 4 percent municipal sales tax on cannabis, these shops stand to be extremely lucrative for towns’ bottom lines. 

The town board has not yet determined how it will use the potential windfall. “Just the fact that there is an opportunity to participate and share in some of this tax revenue that would be generated is a positive step for us,” said Sturm. 

Creating revenue that previously didn’t exist promises to have a great impact on a small town like Bethel. With a new source of income comes the potential to fund projects previously out of the question. 

Until this year’s $28,000 revenue from intalling solar panels, Bethel had brought in zero dollars, aside from its tax levy, for the last 40 years. 

Revenue from cannabis retail could ease the cost of Bethel’s major highway garage project, or plans to start the construction of a new town hall, or a recent request to fund water testing for White Lake.

When one town resident learned about the town sales tax associated with the marijuana retail applications, he said, “F---k it, sign em up.” 

Editor’s note: How should Bethel’s potential windfall be spent? Post your answer under this story at rivereporter.com or write to editor@riverreporter.com.

In other business 

• Sewer rates. There will be no increases to the sewer extension or the sewer rate in 2024.
• New garage and town hall. The board agreed to move forward with two major projects: a new highway garage and a new town hall. The high-end estimation for the garage is $6.3 million, and the town has received $5.3 million in bonds toward this project. The high-end estimation for the town hall is $3.6 million, with $2.6 million in bonds received.
• Comprehensive plan. The town is searching for residents to participate in updating its 2006 comprehensive plan. The committee for the plan will consist, to start with, of one planning board member, one zoning board member and at least seven to nine members of the public. The board will have the final say on the membership. 
• Lake testing. Many residents brought up their concerns about the health of White Lake and asked that the cost of water testing be funded by the town.