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Local business says illegal dispensaries near College Town undercut licensed operators and attract underage buyers
Summary
A lawyer representing a licensed College Town dispensary asked the Public Safety Committee to help address multiple illegal cannabis shops near Cornell, saying the unlicensed sellers also market other unregulated substances; county and city law enforcement said enforcement falls to local police but the committee agreed to monitor.
A lawyer representing a licensed business in the Ithaca area told Tompkins County’s Public Safety Committee that illegal cannabis dispensaries operating near Cornell University are undercutting licensed operators and drawing underage buyers.
Nate Cook, a partner at the local firm Klausner Cook, said his client College Town Dispensary faces at least five illegal shops within a block of the legal store and reported customers asking about non‑cannabis products. “Most of the sales are to underage individuals that are going to Cornell,” Cook said. He asked the committee and county staff for guidance about enforcement tools and intergovernmental options to address the illegal sellers.
Sheriff Derek and other committee members said city police typically handle enforcement of unlicensed retail operations within Ithaca, and the county sheriff’s office had discussed coordination with county administration and the county attorney in prior meetings. County staff and the sheriff noted the state has taken action in individual cases, and committee members agreed the issue warranted attention during the year.
Why it matters: Committee members said unregulated sales can undercut licensed farmers and tax revenue and expose customers to untested products and other substances. The committee placed enforcement of the state Cannabis Law and related implementation problems on its 2025 priorities list and asked staff to report on any pending local code or joint city‑county approaches.
Ending: The sheriff agreed to check the current enforcement status of known locations and staff will update the committee at a future meeting on any proposed joint enforcement or legislative options.
