Read state announcements of retail dispensaries, draft of upcoming law
By Andrew Harris
The new world of legal cannabis in New York State is about to emerge after years of incubating within the newly formed Office of Cannabis Management(OCM.) The office reported that 36 licenses have been approved for the first retail dispensaries in the state:
Newsday recently reported that OCM executive director Chris Alexander confirmed the state’s first legal dispensary will open within the calendar year. The interview with Alexander also revealed that the state plan to have home delivery of cannabis available in early 2023. Read that Newsday reporting here:
New York has recently allowed a ‘first tier’ of licensing to begin for two groups of eligible licensees. The first were the established hemp farmers and processors who had been in business for at least two years under the state hemp program. The second group to be able to apply for a license are those who have been had been convicted of a crime involving cannabis, or have had a family member convicted. Despite the critique of this policy from many, the NY cannabis legalization has been largely predicated on correcting the injustices from decades of the failed “War on Drugs.”
Based on Alexander’s comments, the homegrow portion of the law will become valid within 18 months of the first legal sale in the state. This portion of the law has caused lots of confusion among the average New Yorker. Currently it is still illegal to grow cannabis at home for personal consumption.
A release of the below draft law should inform what the full the marketplace will look like. Get a glimpse of how local governments will be able to enforce and regulate; Insight into licensing, and general requirements and prohibitions.
Stay tuned for a more indept analysis of
