I had heard from a very reliable source after I wrote this post that the landlord at 177 Duane did not intend to rent to a cannabis dispensary, which was on the CB1 agendas as Lyfe Charmz. And now the chair of Community Board 1 has confirmed the same thing. At last night’s executive committee, Tammy Meltzer said the landlord got in touch with them and said they are actively negotiating with a different tenant that is NOT a cannabis dispensary.

CB1 broke the news to the applicant, who had as of last night had not withdrawn its application. As a result it is officially denied.

This is the kind of shenanigans that has gone on with many of the cannabis license applications that come before CB1, and the committee must be getting whiplash. We have seen multiple businesses apply for a license at the same location, and we have seen businesses switch to different locations the following month. I don’t get it. Are applicants just picking buildings randomly? (The answer seems to be yes.)

The executive committee also discussed that the City Council might make a law saying that cannabis dispensaries can not be sited near playgrounds. So far, that is not part of the state’s siting rules (see those here) but it is part of the additional layer of requirements that CB1 has set for dispensaries in its district. “Local municipalities can make rules,” Tammy said. “And I think it would be widely supported by every other community… We want local legislation that prohibits cannabis dispensaries from being near playgrounds.”