ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State lawmakers will hold a hearing next month in Albany about the challenges to rolling out the recreational cannabis market.
The State Legislature legalized recreational cannabis in March of 2021 but dispensaries have been slow to open, especially in the Finger Lakes region, because of multiple lawsuits.
Last month, a State Supreme Court judge temporarily halted the state from issuing any new cannabis licenses. That’s because of a lawsuit, filed by four military veterans, saying the Office of Cannabis Management is violating the law by prioritizing licenses for people with prior cannabis convictions.
A public hearing on Oct. 30 will discuss that lawsuit, along with other challenges to the legal cannabis market. Cannabis cultivators, processors, retailers are invited to speak, along with people from regulatory agencies.
Senator Jeremy Cooney, who chairs the Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis, says many local residents are frustrated by the lack of progress in the cannabis rollout.
“We believe it would be a disservice and irresponsible to these New Yorkers if we didn’t look at the full picture of what’s happening in our cannabis marketplace both upstate, where I am, and also in New York City and the surrounding areas,” Cooney said.
Cooney is also the co-chair of the Marijuana Task Force as part of the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.
H/T: www.whec.com
