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Council pushes for realistic cannabis revenue forecasts, urges enforcement to curb illegal market
Summary
Council members debated a resolution urging accurate municipal cannabis revenue projections and stronger enforcement against illicit sellers; text was adopted and later placed on the agenda for monitoring as stores come online.
The Buffalo City Council debated a resolution calling for the administration to use realistic projections for cannabis tax revenue and to strengthen enforcement against illegal cannabis sellers.
Council member Norkowski said municipal budget planning must rely on accurate numbers and criticized past projections that put anticipated local cannabis receipts in the millions. “When the administration is making the budget, please project an accurate number for cannabis because we know it's not in the millions yet,” Norkowski said.
A second council speaker identified as the majority leader described negotiating the enabling law at the state level and said municipalities that opted in are eligible to receive a portion of tax revenues. He noted news reports about larger regional totals but said local receipts are lower and that illegal storefronts undercut the regulated market and public safety. "We don't know where [illegal product] is coming from. You don't know what products are in it. They can be laced with fentanyl," he said.
Speakers linked enforcement to revenue capture: the majority leader said prior local enforcement authority allowed fines up to $1,500 per day but that the city had not actively recouped penalties and that pursuing enforcement could yield both compliance and revenue. The resolution asked the administration to use verified sales and reporting to ground projections and to pursue enforcement against unlicensed operators.
The council opened and closed discussion on the item and moved to adopt the resolution; minutes indicate the item was adopted. Later in the meeting members said the adopted items would be watched and asked staff to keep the matter on the agenda for monitoring as more licensed stores open.
Council members urged the administration to coordinate with the state Office of Cannabis Management and with regional data sources to refine revenue estimates and to prioritize enforcement that protects consumers and the regulated market.
