Showing ordinances that apply to Valley Cottage, NY
Valley Cottage is an unincorporated community (population 9,038) in Rockland County, New York. Because Valley Cottage is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Rockland County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The dispensary zoning rules below are the ones that govern your area.
New York MRTA (2021) legalized adult-use cannabis but allowed municipalities to opt out of retail dispensaries and on-site consumption lounges by December 31, 2021. Many Rockland towns/villages opted out (including Clarkstown and Ramapo). Those that did not opt out regulate via zoning.
The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) of 2021 (Cannabis Law §131) permitted municipalities one opportunity to opt out of adult-use retail dispensaries and on-site consumption by local law passed before December 31, 2021. If a municipality opted out, voters can restore licensing by permissive referendum; municipalities that did NOT opt out cannot later opt out. In Rockland County, the Town of Clarkstown and Town of Ramapo are notable opt-outs, as are many villages (Suffern, Nyack varied, and others). Municipalities that did not opt out regulate through zoning — typically placing dispensaries in commercial/highway-business districts with buffer requirements (500-1,000 ft from schools, churches, playgrounds, youth facilities) per state regulation 9 NYCRR Part 119. Retail dispensaries are licensed only by the NY Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).
Unlicensed cannabis sales: NY Cannabis Law §125 misdemeanor/felony; OCM civil penalties up to $10,000 per day. Zoning violations in opt-in towns: local fines $250-$1,000/day.
See how Valley Cottage's dispensary zoning rules stack up against other locations.
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