Babylon Town Rakes in $1.2 Million from Cannabis Sales
Babylon Town has become the first Long Island municipality to disclose its revenue from recreational cannabis sales, with a haul of nearly $1.2 million. The town plans to use the funds to build a new chemical dependency treatment center in North Amityville.
The revenue comes from a 4% “local tax” on cannabis sales, which is distributed to individual municipalities. The town received $1.16 million from nine months of sales, with two dispensaries currently operating in East Farmingdale.
Town officials initially opposed recreational cannabis sales, but have since changed their stance after learning about the potential benefits. “I was opposed, but now I’ve seen how we can actually utilize this revenue in very positive ways,” said Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer.
The town plans to use the funds to construct a second location of the Beacon Family Wellness center, which is expected to open in 2026. Future cannabis revenue will also be used to fund center operations and substance abuse counselors in schools.
Other Long Island towns, including Brookhaven, Riverhead, and Southampton, have also opted-in to recreational cannabis sales, but have yet to open any stores. Babylon Town is currently the only municipality on Long Island with operational cannabis dispensaries.
Experts say that municipalities should reconsider their reluctance to marijuana sales, as the revenue can be used to benefit the community. “This benefits the township as a whole and their communities because they’re able to designate those funds however they want them to be used,” said Gahrey Ovalle, co-founder and president of the Long Island Cannabis Coalition.
The town has five additional cannabis dispensary applications moving through the approval process, with two more stores set to open in East Farmingdale in the coming weeks.
