HUDSON — A retail marijuana shop is suing the state Cannabis Control Board for issuing a waiver that would allow another shop to open on the same block.
Attorneys for Riverbend Dispensary on Hudson’s Warren Street filed the lawsuit on Sept. 17 against the state board and the proposed shop, which is owned by BLAZE NY, an LLC co-founded by William Hughes, a Hudson native and the former minority leader for the Columbia County Board of Supervisors.
State regulations require cannabis shops to be at least 2,000 feet apart in municipalities with fewer than 20,000 residents. Hudson has a population of 5,700 residents. However, the regulation can be waived by the state Cannabis Control Board, which is charged with issuing licenses and approving rules and regulations for the industry. BLAZE NY applied for such a waiver, which was approved by the board during its May 20 meeting…