Ever since Gov. Hochul ascended to the top job in August, there has been much-needed momentum toward establishing New York’s recreational cannabis marketplace. Despite the enthusiasm for the nascent sector — a sector that’s earned the support of nearly two-thirds of New Yorkers — there are local debates raging all over the state, as localities consider opting out of cannabis retail and on-site consumption.

With the deadline to decide — Dec. 31, 2021 — fast approaching and the future of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a new productive and equitable market sector still uncertain in towns, villages and hamlets across the state, it’s critical we face the facts and dispel the disinformation and myths that riddle the cannabis dispensary debate. (And here’s a disclosure up front: I profit from the expansion of the cannabis business in our state.)