What happened in December 2021
When NY's MRTA passed in March 2021, the law gave municipalities (cities, towns, villages) the option to "opt out" of allowing retail cannabis dispensaries within their borders. The deadline to opt out was December 31, 2021.
In December 2021, all three Nassau County towns (the Town of Hempstead, the Town of North Hempstead, and the Town of Oyster Bay) opted out of allowing licensed retail cannabis dispensaries.
In the months that followed, many Nassau villages opted out as well. The Village of Garden City, the Village of Floral Park, and many others made the same decision.
The result: Nassau County, with over 1.4 million residents, has effectively no licensed retail cannabis dispensary anywhere within its borders.
Why did Nassau opt out
Public statements from town and village officials cited several reasons:
- Public safety concerns — anticipated impact on policing and traffic
- Zoning and aesthetic concerns — preference against cannabis retail in residential character communities
- Federal banking concerns — banks under federal regulation often refuse cannabis-business deposits
- Wait-and-see preference — let other municipalities go first and observe outcomes
Whether these concerns were proportionate is a political question. The legal effect was clear: Nassau adults were left without a local licensed source.
What opt-out means in practical terms
For a Nassau adult who wants legal cannabis:
- Drive to a licensed dispensary outside Nassau — Queens, Brooklyn, NYC, or further upstate
- Order delivery from a dispensary licensed elsewhere that serves Nassau zones
- Grow at home — NY allows up to 6 plants per adult under MRTA home-cultivation rules
Sage Seeds in Bellerose, Queens (license OCM-RETL-24-000004) is the closest licensed dispensary for most western Nassau zip codes, often within 2-10 miles.
See delivery for the Nassau zones we serve.
Can a town reverse its opt-out
Yes, but it requires affirmative action by the town board to "opt back in." Once a town opts back in, it then has to develop zoning and licensing rules that comply with NY's MRTA framework.
To date, no Nassau town has reversed its opt-out. Some Long Island municipalities have begun discussing reversal, particularly as tax revenue from neighboring jurisdictions becomes visible.
What about delivery vs storefront
The distinction matters:
- Retail storefront — opt-out blocks new licensed cannabis stores
- Delivery into Nassau — NOT blocked; delivery from a dispensary licensed in a non-opted-out municipality (like Queens) is legal
This is why Sage Seeds, licensed in Queens, can deliver to every Nassau zip code despite the Nassau opt-out. The dispensary itself sits in Queens (Bellerose, NY 11426). Delivery is the legal bridge.
What this means for the unlicensed market
The opt-out has not eliminated cannabis demand in Nassau. It has redirected demand into:
- Travel to Queens / NYC (legal)
- Delivery from Queens dispensaries (legal)
- Unlicensed shops (illegal, growing post-MRTA, state-targeted for closure)
- Online unlicensed delivery (illegal, often passed off as licensed)
NY's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has been actively closing unlicensed Nassau shops since 2024. Adults are best served by ordering only from licensed sources with verifiable license numbers (look for an OCM license number prominently displayed).
See first-time buyer's guide for licensed-vs-unlicensed verification tips.
Nassau zones we serve
Sage Seeds delivers to many Nassau zip codes including:
- New Hyde Park (11040)
- Floral Park (11001, 11005)
- Garden City (11530)
- Mineola (11501)
- Williston Park (11596)
- Garden City Park (11040)
- Stewart Manor (11530)
- Albertson (11507)
- East Williston (11596)
- Hempstead (11550)
- West Hempstead (11552)
- Franklin Square (11010)
- Valley Stream (11580)
- Elmont (11003)
- Uniondale (11553)
- Manhasset (11030)
- Roslyn (11576)
- Carle Place (11514)
- Westbury (11590)
- East Meadow (11554)
Browse Nassau delivery zones for the full list and per-village pages.
What if Nassau opts back in eventually
If a Nassau town reverses opt-out, the town would have to:
- Establish local zoning rules for retail cannabis
- Allow license applicants to apply through OCM
- Wait for OCM to process and approve applications
Realistic timeline from opt-back-in to first storefront opening: 18-36 months. Until then, Queens-based delivery remains the legal Nassau cannabis path.
A practical takeaway
The Nassau opt-out is the single biggest reason Sage Seeds Bellerose has a substantial Nassau delivery business. Adults in Nassau who want legal cannabis with full COA-tested products and a verifiable supply chain need a Queens-side dispensary. Sage Seeds is one of the closest.
Visit Sage Seeds
Sage Seeds · 248-15 Union Turnpike, Bellerose, NY 11426 · (347) 426-9394 · License OCM-RETL-24-000004 · Hours [VERIFY] · Contact
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For use only by adults 21 and older. Cannabis affects each person differently. Do not drive or operate machinery after using. This page is general information, not legal advice. Consult a NY-licensed attorney for specific legal questions.