Long Island Cannabis Club becomes first dispensary in Deer Park

The first state-licensed recreational cannabis dispensary in Deer Park is set to have its official grand opening on Friday, making it the only pot retail business in Babylon Town located outside of East Farmingdale.

The Long Island Cannabis Club is the fifth licensed marijuana business to open in the town and the seventh to open on Long Island. There are three dispensaries and a delivery-only business in East Farmingdale, two dispensaries in Riverhead — one of which will open Saturday — and one in Southampton.

The newest entry into the field, located on East Industry Court, is just east of the Tanger Outlets Deer Park, something co-owner Leslie Rodriguez, 43, said will help business during this holiday season.

“People come to this area to do the bulk of their shopping and their entertainment,” said Rodriguez, a licensed massage therapist who is one of five owners, all from the area.

There will be 1,800 square feet devoted to retail space in a former warehouse, with 15 employees and about 250 items, with many of the products by women-owned and local brands, she said. The owners wanted to incorporate Long Island’s scenery into the decor, Rodriguez said, including epoxying the floors to look like the water, and laminating skylights with images of the sky so customers will “feel like you’re at the beach.”

Rodriguez said they plan to begin a delivery service in a few weeks.

“We’re the only ones on the other end of the town,” she said. “We’re going to get more of that East End clientele. It’ll be more convenient for them.”

Valerie St. Bernard, president of the Deer Park Community Association, said she’s concerned about people driving after using marijuana. She said she asked a manager at the dispensary to put up a sign warning patrons of the dangers of driving under the influence.

“They said they would and I told them I’d be keeping an eye on them,” she said.

St. Bernard, who founded the Deer Park Drug Prevention Coalition and is a counselor at Babylon Town’s Beacon Family Wellness chemical dependency treatment center, said she feels legalized recreational marijuana retail shops are a “safer alternative” to illicit drug sales but is still wary.

“I’m not an advocate of it, but being that it’s out of my control, I just want to make sure it’s safe for not just Deer Park but the surrounding communities,” she said.

Local municipalities where dispensaries are located collect a percentage of their tax revenue. Babylon Town has so far received more than $1.8 million from cannabis sales, which it plans to use for the construction and operation of a chemical dependency treatment center in North Amityville.

The town currently has seven active applications for dispensaries, pending site plan and zoning board of appeals approval, town spokesman Ryan Bonner said.

The town this month also is implementing a new requirement that the hours of operation for all dispensaries be uniform: Monday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

“Uniform hours ensure a level playing field among dispensaries, preventing some businesses from gaining an advantage by staying open longer or operating at unusual hours that could disrupt community expectations,” Bonner said.

By Denise M. Bonilla

denise.bonilla@newsday.comdenisebonilla

Denise Bonilla has worked at Newsday since 2003 and covers the Town of Babylon, including the villages of Lindenhurst and Amityville.