Governor Kathy Hochul Archives

New York Governor Signs Legislation To Reign In Illicit Weed Market

May 8, 2023 Published by SDZ News

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday signed legislation to reign in the state’s illicit marijuana market that includes penalties for unlicensed cannabis retailers of up to $20,000 per day. The legislation, which increases civil and tax penalties for the illicit sale of cannabis in New York, was signed into law as part of the state budget for the 2024 fiscal year.

Hochul first proposed the new measures to address New York’s underground cannabis market in March as a way to prop up the emerging industry for recreational marijuana, which was legalized by state lawmakers in 2021. Regulated sales of adult-use cannabis began in the closing days of 2022, but so far, only a handful of licensed dispensaries have opened statewide. Meanwhile, free from the threat of criminal penalties, unlicensed dispensaries have proliferated, with a law enforcement task force study conducted earlier this year identifying at least 1,200 illicit pot shops in New York City.

“As New York State continues to roll out a nation-leading model to establish its cannabis industry, these critical enforcement measures will protect New Yorkers from illicit, unregulated sales,” Hochul said in a statement on May 3. “Unlicensed dispensaries violate our laws, put public health at risk, and undermine the legal cannabis market. With these enforcement tools, we’re paving the way for safer products, reinvestment in communities that endured years of disproportionate enforcement, and greater opportunities for New Yorkers.”

Law Gives New Enforcement Powers

The new legislation provides additional enforcement power to the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and the state Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) to enforce regulatory requirements and close stores engaged in the illegal sale of cannabis. The new law allows the OCM to assess civil penalties against unlicensed cannabis businesses, with the “most egregious” illicit operators facing fines of up to $20,000 per day. The law also makes it a crime to sell cannabis or cannabis products without a license.

The legislation also gives the OCM new powers to conduct regulatory inspections of businesses selling cannabis and cannabis products, including so-called gifting shops that provide cannabis in return for inconsequential merchandise. The agency will have the power to seize untested cannabis products from unlicensed businesses and will seek court orders to close unlicensed shops and evict commercial tenants engaged in selling cannabis without a license.

Additionally, the DTF is now empowered to conduct regulatory inspections of businesses selling cannabis to determine if the appropriate taxes have been paid and levy civil penalties on businesses not paying taxes. The legislation also establishes a new tax fraud crime for businesses that willfully fail to collect or remit required cannabis taxes, or knowingly possess for sale any cannabis on which tax was required to be paid but was not.

“Strengthening tax laws as they pertain to the cannabis industry and providing for robust and fair enforcement will help the industry to be successful over the long term,” said New York State Acting Commissioner of Taxation and Finance Amanda Hiller.

Elliot Choi, counsel and chief knowledge officer at the cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP, said that while the new measures passed into law are good news for the regulated cannabis industry, some of the governor’s measures will likely not have an immediate effect on illicit operators.

“Illegal dispensaries continue to proliferate in New York, especially in the City, so any movement on enforcement is welcome,” Choi wrote in an email to High Times. “The enforcement legislation in the state’s budget includes the ability for the Department of Tax and Finance to levy some hefty fines. We suspect those fines will have a deterrent effect on new illegal dispensaries. However, the tax department is going to need time to staff up and the Office of Cannabis Management will need to draft some regulations before there is a crackdown on existing ones.”

Hochul’s efforts to protect licensed cannabis retailers also include measures to lessen the demand for illicit marijuana. Last month, she unveiled a consumer ad campaign to encourage consumers to purchase cannabis from licensed dispensaries.

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New York Governor Launches Campaign Urging Consumers To Buy Legal Weed

April 20, 2023 Published by SDZ News

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Tuesday launched a new statewide campaign to encourage consumers to purchase cannabis from the state’s regulated recreational marijuana market. New York legalized adult-use cannabis in 2021, and regulated sales of recreational marijuana began at the state’s first licensed dispensary in Manhattan in late December 2022.

“To bolster the public health and safety of all New Yorkers, we are providing them with information they need to make informed decisions and enjoy cannabis responsibly,” Hochul said in a statement from the governor’s office. “As we continue to build a healthier and more equitable cannabis market, I am proud to launch this important public education campaign to promote safer, legal purchases of cannabis from licensed dispensaries throughout our state.”

Campaign Launched In Time For 4/20

The new campaign, dubbed “Why Buy Legal New York,” came as the state’s limited number of adult-use cannabis retailers prepared for the legal industry’s first 4/20, the high holiday of weed culture. The initiative focuses on three points including protecting public health, promoting social equity and community reinvestments, and features licensed cannabis operators extolling the virtues of regulated marijuana businesses and their products.

“We are excited to launch this campaign to promote safe and legal purchases of cannabis in New York,” said Tremaine Wright, chairwoman of the New York Cannabis Control Board. “By supporting licensed dispensaries, consumers can be confident that they are getting safe and accurately labeled products while supporting their local communities.”

The mostly digital campaign will attempt to explain the potential risks associated with cannabis from the unregulated market, which does not require products to be lab tested for safety and potency. The ads in the campaign will also highlight how purchasing cannabis from the regulated market supports the state’s social and economic goals for communities across the state of New York. The initiative, which is targeted at cannabis consumers 21 years old, includes educational materials including “The Guide to Safer Cannabis Consumption” and information on how to find legal dispensaries in New York. The campaign’s materials and safe consumption tips are also available online.

“We want to make sure that New Yorkers are informed about the potential risks and benefits of using cannabis,” said Chris Alexander, executive director of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. “Our goal is to empower consumers to make informed decisions and to ensure they have access to the safest products available. New York has some incredible dispensaries across the state, and I encourage cannabis consumers and the canna-curious to visit these shops and see for themselves.”

PSAs Feature Licensed Cannabis Operators

The Why Buy Legal New York campaign features licensed cannabis operators including Jasmine and King, cultivators focused on the community-centered and wellness properties of cannabis. Howard is a licensed processor focused on modern safety practices and education efforts to produce safer cannabis products, while Damien is a licensed retailer focused on social justice reform and community reinvestment, bringing over five years of experience as a business owner to New York’s regulated cannabis industry. And Eddie, another licensed processor, incorporates his experience from more than five generations of family farming to produce safer cannabis products for the regulated market.

Lyla Hunt, deputy director of public health and education campaigns, said that the Why Buy Legal New York initiative is “critical to educating New Yorkers about the importance of purchasing cannabis legally from licensed dispensaries.”

“These PSAs are designed to offer a striking contrast to the exaggerations and incorrect messaging so many experienced during the prohibition of cannabis. By emphasizing the health and safety benefits of buying legally, we hope to build trust in the regulated cannabis industry and encourage New Yorkers to make informed decisions regarding cannabis consumption,” added Hunt. “This campaign is also an opportunity to address historical harms and promote community reinvestment while providing valuable information about the regulated cannabis space. We are excited to launch this campaign and believe it will make a significant difference in the lives of New Yorkers, supporting a safer and more equitable cannabis industry for all and furthering New York State’s education first approach.”

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New York Governor Unveils Plan To Address Illicit Pot Shops

March 24, 2023 Published by SDZ News

New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Wednesday unveiled new legislation to combat the state’s persistent illicit cannabis operators. The bill, which already has the support of dozens of lawmakers in the New York Senate and State Assembly, also provides increased authority for regulators including the Office of Cannabis Management and the Department of Taxation and Finance to enforce regulations and close stores engaged in illegal cannabis sales.

“Over the past several weeks I have been working with the legislature on new legislation to improve New York’s regulatory structure for cannabis products,” Hochul said in a statement from the governor’s office. “The continued existence of illegal dispensaries is unacceptable, and we need additional enforcement tools to protect New Yorkers from dangerous products and support our equity initiatives.”

New York Legalized Recreational Weed In 2021

New York legalized adult-use cannabis in 2021 and the first recreational marijuana dispensary opened its doors in Manhattan late last year. But so far, only four Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) retailers have opened statewide. Meanwhile, the number of unlicensed pot shops has skyrocketed, prompting operators in the nascent licensed cannabis industry and others to press state officials for action against illicit operators.

Under the proposed legislation announced by Hochul on Wednesday, New York’s tax and cannabis laws would be amended to enable the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) and local law enforcement agencies to enforce restrictions on unlicensed storefront dispensaries. The legislation does not impose new penalties for cannabis possession for personal use by an individual and does not allow local law enforcement officers to perform marijuana enforcement actions against individuals.

“This legislation, for the first time, would allow OCM and DTF to crack down on unlicensed activity, protect New Yorkers, and ensure the success of new cannabis businesses in New York,” the governor’s office wrote. “The legislation would restructure current illicit cannabis penalties to give DTF peace officers enforcement authority, create a manageable, credible, fair enforcement system, and would impose new penalties for retailers that evade State cannabis taxes.”

The bill clarifies and expands the OCM’s authority to seize illicit cannabis products, establishes summary procedures for the OCM and other governmental entities to shut down unlicensed businesses, and creates a framework for more effective cooperative efforts among agencies.

Violations of the law could lead to fines of $200,000 for illicit cannabis plants or products. The legislation also allows the OCM to fine businesses up to $10,000 per day for engaging in cannabis sales without a license from the state.

Elliot Choi, chief knowledge officer at the cannabis and psychedelics law firm Vicente LLP, hailed the use of financial penalties instead of jail time to help reign in New York’s illicit cannabis market.

“Governor Hochul’s proposed legislation is very much welcomed as prior efforts to combat the illicit dispensaries haven’t appeared to have much of an impact,” Choi wrote in an email to High Times. “We support the use of fines as opposed to incarceration to avoid recriminalization and a return of anything that resembles the prior failed war on drugs.”

In addition to fines for unlicensed cannabis operators, Choi said that penalizing property owners who rent to unlicensed businesses would also be an appropriate tool for the state’s cannabis regulators and called for an increase in funding for state agencies tasked with controlling underground operators.

“Landlords should not have any incentives to rent to illegal operators and should be financially punished for doing so,” said Choi. “Finally, both the OCM and the Department of Taxation and Finance need additional resources to enforce as the OCM already has enough on their plate getting the regulations finalized and corresponding licenses issued in a timely fashion.”

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New York ‘Scrambling’ To Develop Cannabis DUI Test

October 11, 2022 Published by SDZ News

As New York hurtles toward the opening of its new legal recreational marijuana market, the state is apparently “scrambling to develop a way to measure when motorists are driving while under the influence of cannabis since there’s no current standard or valid testing.”

That is according to a report on Sunday in the New York Post, which said that Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration has issued a call for a mechanism to spot weed-impaired drivers.

“With the legalization of adult-use cannabis, there are concerns of increased incidences of driving while impaired after cannabis use,” the New York Department of Health said in a proposal, as quoted by the Post.

“Identifying drivers impaired by cannabis use is of critical importance…..However, unlike alcohol, there are currently no evidence-based methods to detect cannabis-impaired driving,” the memo continued.

The news comes amid budding anticipation for the launch of New York’s first regulated adult-use marijuana retailers. According to the Post, New York is expected to award “up to 175 retail licenses to sell marijuana in the coming weeks.”

Hochul said last week that the state remains on track to launch the new regulated cannabis market by the end of this year.

“We expect the first 20 dispensaries to be open by the end of this year,” Hochul told the Advance Media New York editorial board. “And then every month or so, another 20. So, we’re not going to just jam it out there. It’s going to work and be successful.”

The state began accepting applications for adult-use dispensary licenses on August 25, with the deadline arriving on September 26. New York officials have said that roughly 500 applications had been submitted, while hundreds of applicants were rejected due to being ineligible.

The first dispensary licenses will be designated for individuals who have previously been convicted of a pot-related offense.

“New York State is making history, launching a first-of-its-kind approach to the cannabis industry that takes a major step forward in righting the wrongs of the past,” Hochul said in her announcement of the policy in March. “The regulations advanced by the Cannabis Control Board today will prioritize local farmers and entrepreneurs, creating jobs and opportunity for communities that have been left out and left behind. I’m proud New York will be a national model for the safe, equitable and inclusive industry we are now building.”

Hochul’s predecessor, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, legalized recreational cannabis in the state when he signed a bill into law in March of 2021. The measure immediately ended the state’s ban on possession, but the regulated cannabis market was slow to get off the ground under Cuomo, who stepped down as governor in August of last year amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

After taking over, Hochul made it a priority to get the program up and running, something she touted in her interview with the editorial board last week.

“Talk about the rollout being jammed up. When I became governor, nothing had happened. Nothing. It was shut down because there was a battle between the administration and the legislature over who would be the executive director and the chairs of the cannabis review boards,” she said. “So, I was given a lot of credit because within one week, I named people. I got things going. So, when I speak to people about being part of this industry, the first thing they say is ‘thank you.’ Because otherwise we could still be waiting and waiting and waiting, even for the most basic steps to be taken. So we’ve been moving along quickly.”

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New York Recreational Sales On Track To Start By Year’s End, According to Gov. Hochul

October 7, 2022 Published by SDZ News

The clock may be ticking on 2022, but New York is still on track to open its first recreational marijuana dispensaries by the end of the year.

That is according to the state’s Democratic governor, Kathy Hochul, who said Wednesday that she expects the first official cannabis retailers to open their doors before 2023.

The application period for the first round of adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses just ended last week after it began on August 25.

State officials said that around 500 applications had been submitted, and that hundreds of other applicants had been deemed ineligible and were rejected.

The first round of dispensary licenses will be awarded to individuals who have previously been convicted of a pot-related offense, or a family member of someone who has, a policy that was announced by Hochul back in March.

“New York State is making history, launching a first-of-its-kind approach to the cannabis industry that takes a major step forward in righting the wrongs of the past,” Hochul said in the announcement at the time. “The regulations advanced by the Cannabis Control Board today will prioritize local farmers and entrepreneurs, creating jobs and opportunity for communities that have been left out and left behind. I’m proud New York will be a national model for the safe, equitable and inclusive industry we are now building.”

In her interview with the editorial board on Wednesday, Hochul echoed those sentiments, saying that New York is striving to be “a model for the rest of the nation – especially with our desire to make sure that people who’ve been affected by the criminal justice system adversely … have the opportunity to work in this area.”

Hochul, who is heavily favored to win re-election this year, took over as governor in August 2021 following the resignation of Andrew Cuomo, who stepped down as New York governor amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

It was Cuomo who signed the bill legalizing recreational pot for adults in March 2021, but the state’s cannabis program did not begin to take shape until Hochul took office.

Within a month of taking over last year, Hochul completed two key appointments to the state’s Office of Cannabis Management, the agency charged with overseeing and regulating New York’s cannabis industry.

“New York’s cannabis industry has stalled for far too long—I am making important appointments to set the Office of Cannabis Management up for success so they can hit the ground running,” Hochul said at the time.

In her interview with the editorial board this week, Hochul touted her efforts to get the state-regulated marijuana program off the ground.

“Talk about the rollout being jammed up,” she said. “When I became governor, nothing had happened. Nothing. It was shut down because there was a battle between the administration and the legislature over who would be the executive director and the chairs of the cannabis review boards,” she said. “So, I was given a lot of credit because within one week, I named people. I got things going. So, when I speak to people about being part of this industry, the first thing they say is ‘thank you.’ Because otherwise we could still be waiting and waiting and waiting, even for the most basic steps to be taken. So we’ve been moving along quickly.”

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New York Regulators Issue First 15 Licenses for Cannabis Processors

August 17, 2022 Published by SDZ News

New York regulators on Monday awarded 15 licenses for adult-use cannabis processors, a key step in the path to the launch of legal recreational marijuana sales slated for later this year. New York’s Cannabis Control Board issued the licenses to businesses already licensed as cannabinoid hemp processors, giving the businesses the opportunity to function as an integral facet of the state’s fledgling regulated marijuana industry.

“Processors aren’t just an important part of the cannabis supply chain, they are creators, who take a raw plant and transform it into tested, consistent, high-quality products that consumers can trust,” Tremaine Wright, chair of the Cannabis Control Board, said in a statement quoted by local media. “When we open New York’s first stores, owned and operated by New Yorkers harmed by the misguided criminalization of cannabis, the shelves will be lined with infused edibles, topical creams and concentrated oils. None of those products would be possible without these first processors launching New York’s cannabis industry.”

The hemp processors awarded licenses to process adult-use cannabis are required to participate in a mentorship program designed to provide entrepreneurship opportunities, encourage sustainable practices in the cannabis industry and ensure that those with convictions for marijuana-related offenses have a path to participation in the regulated industry.

“New York is launching our cannabis industry the right way, and our cannabis processors are an integral part of that,” Office of Cannabis Management executive director Chris Alexander said in a statement. “These processors aren’t just expanding their own businesses, they are committed to also mentoring the next generation of cannabis processors. They’ll be teaching vital manufacturing skills to those with a passion for cannabis who will take our state’s industry to the next level. New York’s entire cannabis ecosystem will create opportunities for those who have been shut out of jobs and industry, and will bring those skills to communities across the state.”

Troy Datcher, CEO of California licensed cannabis company The Parent Company, said that awarding New York’s first cannabis processor licenses is an encouraging and essential step in the launch of the state’s adult-use market later this year. But he noted that the state’s cannabis regulations, which are currently being drafted, must reflect the realities of an entrenched illicit market.

“We appreciate that these first cannabis processors in New York will be providing mentorship to social equity applicants to enable broader participation in the state’s industry,” Datcher wrote in an email to High Times. “However, as we’ve learned in California, it is critical that we create a policy environment that gives these businesses a chance to succeed. In particular, we need to ensure that the state’s advertising and packaging regulations do not make it impossible for these processors to make products that meet consumer needs. Given the lack of restrictions on New York’s untested, illicit cannabis market, it is important that we take steps to help legal businesses succeed.”

The cannabis processors mentorship program is part of New York’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative, which Governor Kathy Hochul launched earlier this year to help facilitate social equity in the cannabis industry. The initiative guarantees support for equity applicants and secures investment in communities most impacted by the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition.

“New York State is making history, launching a first-of-its-kind approach to the cannabis industry that takes a major step forward in righting the wrongs of the past,” Hochul said when the initiative was launched in March. “The regulations advanced by the Cannabis Control Board today will prioritize local farmers and entrepreneurs, creating jobs and opportunity for communities that have been left out and left behind. I’m proud New York will be a national model for the safe, equitable and inclusive industry we are now building.”

The Cannabis Control Board also approved an additional 19 conditional adult-use cannabis cultivator licenses on Monday, bringing the total number of growers to 242. Ryan Smith, CEO and co-founder of cannabis wholesale platform LeafLink, said that New York’s cannabis regulation is shaping up to be a model for the nation.

“New York State is taking another encouraging step towards establishing an equitable cannabis ecosystem to right the wrongs of the War on Drugs,” Smith wrote in an email. “Based on our experience operating in over 25 states and territories, early supply constraints continue to be an issue when a market launches. We applaud the state’s Cannabis Control Board for prioritizing equity, transparency, efficiency, and consumer choice, and look forward to seeing New York’s adult-use market come online.”

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From Prison to the Legal Cannabis Industry: Conbud Creates Opportunities for the Formerly Incarcerated

July 14, 2022 Published by SDZ News

When New York state lawmakers legalized recreational pot last year, they were intent on including measures that would ensure those negatively impacted by the War on Drugs and members of underserved communities would have a path into the emerging legal cannabis industry. Under these so-called social equity provisions, half of all licenses for marijuana businesses are reserved for women, veterans, minorities, distressed farmers and “individuals who have lived in communities disproportionally impacted” by drug prohibition enforcement policies. In March, New York went a step farther when Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the first 100 licenses for adult-use cannabis retailers would go to those with past convictions for cannabis offenses.

For many cannabis policy reform activists, New York’s progress on social equity is a welcome change from the early days of legalization, which sometimes offered expungement for past convictions but otherwise left victims of the War on Drugs with little hope of getting a stake in the industry. But even with robust equity measures, individuals who have borne the brunt of the drug war, particularly members of Black and Brown communities, still face significant obstacles to gaining a toehold in the legal weed business.

Cannabis Retail Coming to New York

Coss Marte is one of the many entrepreneurs intent on obtaining one of New York’s first 100 licenses for recreational cannabis retailers. After spending six years in prison for selling weed, he meets the requirements set by Hochul and the New York Office of Cannabis Management. Growing up, he was introduced to marijuana at an early age.

Before long, he saw selling drugs as one of the few viable economic opportunities available to him. Well in advance of legalization, Marte got an early start supplying cannabis and other drugs to New Yorkers through the city’s underground industry. But after a brief period of meteoric success, the operation came crashing down when he was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison.

“At 13, I started dealing and from there, it just started escalating,” he explains. “At 19, I was running one of the largest drug delivery services in New York City. I was generating about five million dollars in revenue, doing a delivery service. And I got knocked and everything ended at 23 years old.”

Taking Inspiration from Adversity

Now out of prison, he is well prepared for success in New York’s regulated cannabis industry. But his plans for the industry aren’t limited to finding a path to success for himself. If he is successful in gaining one of the coveted retail licenses, Marte’s plans include offering a path to employment in the cannabis industry for other formerly incarcerated members of the community. It’s a task he is well suited for. When Marte went to prison, it became quickly evident that it was time for reflection and some serious life changes. Finding a career for life after prison was one priority, but he also became aware of a health crisis that required more immediate attention.

“When I went in, doctors told me my cholesterol levels were through the roof, and if I didn’t start eating correctly or dieting, I could probably die of a heart attack,” he says. “So I basically started working out obsessively and I managed to lose over 70 pounds in six months.”

Encouraged by his success, Marte was soon helping others behind bars on their path to fitness. He started a workout program on the prison yard, helping more than 20 fellow inmates lose a combined total of more than 1,000 pounds. Ever the entrepreneur, Marte saw opportunity in the challenges he had overcome and he began making plans for a new enterprise. Once he was released, he started Conbody, a fitness method managed and run by former inmates. Marte founded Conbody with a mission to de-stigmatize the formerly incarcerated community, especially Black and Brown returning citizens, to ease their integration back into society, and work to change the systemic inequity of the criminal justice system.

With Marte’s leadership, Conbody has become a model for creating opportunities for the formerly incarcerated. He has worked with more than 100 formerly incarcerated individuals and is justifiably proud of the group’s 0% recidivism rate. To ensure continued success and be able to create new opportunities at Conbody, he has also had a hand in placing more than 50 trained professionals in positions in New York’s fitness industry. But he hasn’t stopped there. An entirely different project helps people re-entering society from the prison system find employment in the media industry.

“I’ve also started another nonprofit organization called Second Chance Studios, I’m a co-founder there,” he explains. “We’ve been able to hire six people coming out of the prison system. It’s an apprenticeship program. We teach them audio engineering and video production. Half of the graduates in the last graduating class got accepted to work at MTV.”

Courtesy of Conbud

Enter Conbud

With the legalization of recreational marijuana in New York, Marte has set his sights on a new goal. He has now started Conbud, a company he hopes will obtain one of New York’s first licenses for cannabis retailers. And just like Conbody, his plans include creating opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals.

“I want to hire people coming out of the system that have been affected by the War on Drugs,” he says.

Like many entrepreneurs trying to forge a path into the cannabis industry, Marte faces challenges raising capital to fund the endeavor and is seeking investors. But with two family members who have been successful in New York City’s bar and restaurant industry as partners, Conbud has already secured one potential retail location in the Bronx and is working on obtaining another in Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Regulators hope to have retail sales up and running by the end of the year, so Marte has already begun preparing for the application period to open, with consultants, an accountant, and legal representation already hired and at work.

“I’m jumping on board,” Marte says, clearly eager to keep the process moving ahead. “I have all my paperwork ready, just to make things happen.”

“I’m one of a gazillion people in the state of New York that qualify under this license, so I want to do it right,” he adds. “And I want to make sure, you know, I give back to the people who have been most affected.”

Marte says that regulations limiting him to running three retail weed stores will impact how many jobs he can offer to the formerly incarcerated. But he knows the need is great and encourages cannabis businesses that talk the social equity game to step up and hire individuals who have spent time behind bars due to marijuana prohibition. With his contacts in the community, Marte says he has access to a stream of men and women who fit the bill and are waiting for the chance to put their hard-earned skills to work.

“I also sit on the board of Fortune Society, which is one of the largest criminal justice organizations in the city,” he explains. “They service over seven thousand people a year, coming out of the jail system, the prison system. So, I have great relationships there, where we can get people and individuals working in this space, in this industry.”

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New York Approves First Slate of Cannabis Cultivation Licenses

April 19, 2022 Published by SDZ News

Regulators in New York on Thursday approved dozens of licenses for cultivating cannabis as part of the Empire State’s forthcoming recreational cannabis program.

The New York Cannabis Control Board said that it had signed off on “the first 52 adult-use cannabis cultivation licenses for farms across the state.”

“The first cannabis product on dispensary shelves will come from NY’s hard-working family farmers, not out-of-state corporations,” the board announced on Twitter.

Political leaders in New York heralded the announcement as a big step toward the state’s intended launch of retail cannabis sales later this year.

“New York’s farms have been the backbone of our state’s economy since before the American Revolution, and now, New York’s farms will be at the center of the most equitable cannabis industry in the nation,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. “I’m proud to announce the first adult-use cannabis cultivation licenses in the state, and I’m proud of the work the Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Control Board are doing to get adult-use cannabis sales up and running as fast as possible without compromising our mission to uplift communities and individuals most impacted by the past century of cannabis prohibition.”

Last month, Hochul announced the Seeding Opportunity Initiative, which requires that the first 100-200 recreational dispensary licenses in New York go to individuals with previous cannabis-related convictions, or who have family members with such convictions on their records.

As part of the initiative, New York farmers already growing hemp were given the first crack at growing cannabis for the adult-use market.

“Farmers must adhere to quality assurance, health, and safety requirements developed by the [Office of Cannabis Management],” Hochul’s office explained in the announcement of the initiative. “They must also take part in sustainability and equity mentorship programs that will help build the first generation of equity cannabis owners across the entire supply chain. These conditional licenses make it possible for farmers to grow cannabis in the 2022 growing season.”

New York Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said Thursday that the “approval of the first 52 provisional cultivation licenses will help create a responsible start to the [New York state] cannabis industry by granting cultivators the ability to produce enough product and inventory for social equity retail dispensaries to meet the initial demand of the anticipated legal market.”

“We are on our way towards realizing our goal of creating a viable and inclusive path for minorities and small farmers to have the opportunity to create generational wealth for their families and communities. I am proud of the work conducted thus far by the NYS Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Control Board, and I look forward to our actions bearing fruit,” Peoples-Stokes said in a statement.

New York legalized recreational cannabis use last year when then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill into law.

But the regulated market was slow to take shape under Cuomo, who resigned in August amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

Since taking over as the state’s first female governor, Hochul has been determined to get the adult-use program up and running.

In September, she completed overdue appointments to the Office of Cannabis Management.

Officials in New York are hopeful that recreational pot sales will begin later this year. Until then, New Yorkers can always cross the bridge to New Jersey, where adult-use dispensaries are slated to open next week.

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New York Approves First Slate of Cannabis Cultivation Licenses

April 15, 2022 Published by SDZ News