Letter: A vote against dispensaries

To the Editor:

I continue to be very concerned about the unknown unintended consequences if cannabis dispensaries and lounges were to be permitted in the Village of Cooperstown.

Whether it will help, hurt, or have no effect on the quality of life, tourism, the nation’s view of the Village of Cooperstown (will they still visit in family units?), the desire of the average person to want to live and work in the village, the view of professionals who would consider working at Bassett (or not), the effect on restaurants and other retail businesses, visitors to the Otesaga, visitors to the museums/Baseball Hall of Fame, vacationers in general, homeowners and home buyers in the village and around the lake, the effect on our schools and the students, paid parking space turnover, air quality in indoor and outdoor spaces, motor vehicle driver problems, and more, is a complete unknown to everyone.

While there may be no smoking in public places in the village, there are no prohibitions against being under the effects of legal cannabis while congregating in those same places.

Because of the very high risk of possible long-term structural damage to the quality of life, the national and international reputation of the Village of Cooperstown as a historic and family-oriented place to visit and live, and to the existing deep and widespread mega-million-dollar economic core of the Village of Cooperstown, I am against the permitting of any cannabis dispensaries and/or lounges in the Village of Cooperstown.

This is far too much risk, in my view, for a relatively small amount of any financial gain.

James R Dean
Cooperstown