New York state has made itself into marijuana heaven.
Everywhere you go there’s the stink of weed: on the streets, on mass transit, even on the road while you’re driving.
No problem, according to New York.
And yet the state is for some reason squeamish about allowing people to buy wine in supermarkets.
Explain it to me, gods.
Forty states around the country allow consumers to buy wine in the supermarket. New York isn’t one of them, which seems odd given the robust wine industry on Long Island and in upstate New York.
But I get the opposition.
Liquor retailers are already facing competition from cannabis dispensaries and from the fact that younger people in general are embracing various forms of sobriety.
The kids don’t drink like I did in my 20s and 30s. Wine and spirits are no longer at the center of every holiday gathering, family celebration or work hangout.
Good for them.
And I’m not advocating that people should have more opportunities to drink by offering them wine in supermarkets.
And I’m not blind to the concerns of liquor retailers who fear lost business if people don’t have to patronize their shops anymore if they want to buy wine.
But it frankly doesn’t make sense that New York goes out of its way to encourage vices like weed and gambling (and joyfully scoops up the sin-tax revenue from cigarette sales) but draws the line at letting people buy wine in the supermarket.
I was in Maine on vacation earlier this year. We went out to stock up on groceries for the rental where we were staying.
Let me tell you, it was mighty convenient that we were able to pick up a couple of bottles of wine in the same supermarket where we were buying food and snacks.
And that’s what this should be all about: convenience for people.
You can already buy beer and hard cider in the supermarket in New York. I don’t think that that’s proven to be a real threat to local delis and beer distributers.
The opposition to supermarket wine sales reminds me of how the New York tourism powers leaned on the City Council and got short-term rentals banned in the five boroughs.
That’s been bad for visitors looking to save a little money and for mom-and-pop homeowners looking to make a buck on a spare bedroom or basement apartment.
Bills to allow wine purchases in supermarkets have kicked around the state Legislature for years.
One recent compromise would mandate that only New York-produced wines would be available at supermarkets in the state.
This would be in line with how things have shaken out in New York state breweries, where only wine and spirits produced in the Empire State are available.
It’s proven to be a boon to breweries that can now offer more than just beer and have thus widened their customer base.
That same stricture could be put in place when it comes to wine in supermarkets.
Allowing wine to be purchased in supermarkets would be good for the wine industry, good for the stores and, most importantly, good for consumers.
New York should get it done.