Huntington, NY Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

Adopted December 14, 2021 by Local Law No. 67-2021 as Article V of Chapter 173, § 173-22 makes it unlawful to smoke or vape cannabis on any sidewalk or street in the Town, whether the person is on foot or inside a vehicle. The ban reaches only the unincorporated area of the Town of Huntington: the incorporated villages of Huntington Bay, Lloyd Harbor, Asharoken and Northport enforce their own codes and aren't covered by this section. Section 173-21 defines "cannabis" the same way state Cannabis Law does, covering the plant, its seeds, resin and derivative compounds, but excluding hemp, cannabinoid hemp, hemp extract and FDA-approved drug products.

"Smoke" means burning a cigar, cigarette, pipe or other matter containing cannabis; "vape" means using an electronic device, defined broadly to include any refill, cartridge or component, to inhale vapor or aerosol. The Town Board's stated purpose in § 173-20 is public health and safety: protecting pedestrians and property owners from secondhand exposure on the public right-of-way and heading off the traffic and safety hazards the Board says cannabis's intoxicating effects create for drivers and pedestrians near streets and sidewalks. The penalty was amended July 15, 2025 by Local Law No. 13-2025 to set a flat civil fine rather than the escalating criminal fine structure used elsewhere in Chapter 173.