ELMIRA, N.Y. (WENY) -- The City of Elmira is considering a law that would allow city officials to shut down unlicensed cannabis operations within city limits.  Monday night, the community had the chance to weigh in on this proposal.

"The city is plagued with much worse dilemmas than sticker shops," said Chris Mckinkle, the owner of 420 Novelties when speaking at the public hearing.

If passed, this local law would allow the Elmira Police Department, City Code Enforcement, and the city manager to shut down unlicensed cannabis activity at businesses in the city.  Fines would also be on the table under this law.  Eight people spoke against the proposal.

"If you shut these sticker shops down, and don't let them proceed and do what they're doing, its all going to go right back into our neighborhoods," said one man.

"I'm not sure marijuana is the monster here, in the grand scheme of things," added Mckinkle.  "It's a great scapegoat in the grand scheme of things, but I'm not really sure its the problem."

"Padlocking, and going in and raiding and putting people out of work, that's not going to help.  Its going to make everything so much worse," said a woman who spoke during the hearing.

Only two people who spoke in favor of this law at the hearing.  Mayor Dan Mandell says he hears the comments that were made, but something needs to change.

"The bottom line is that [unlicensed cannabis shops] not legal under the law. The state has given us a mechanism in which we can shut these down and get the legal dispensaries in here," said Mandell.  "The ones are regulated and marijuana is tested, and also they have to pay tax to the city.  [The unregulated] shops are not paying the taxes to the city. It's a 3% tax. So that's the bottom line."

The local law will be brought to vote in two weeks, at the city council meeting on December 30th.