Soon after New York established a framework for legalizing sales of recreational marijuana in 2022, lawsuits began flying as would-be retailers chaffed under burdensome rules and a slow-moving licensing bureaucracy. Gov. Kathy Hochul herself admitted the rollout was botched, and early last year set about getting the Office of Cannabis Management in order. The agency’s year-end … [Read more...] about New York’s legal cannabis industry continues to evolve – Down to Business
New York
New York Governor Wants To Let Police Use Marijuana Odor As ‘Reasonable Cause’ That A Driver Is Impaired
A provision in a New York budget proposal from Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) would allow police who claim to smell marijuana to force a driver to take a drug test—a plan that’s drawing pushback not just from reform advocates but also from the state’s Assembly majority leader and the governor-appointed head of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). “We need to figure out in the … [Read more...] about New York Governor Wants To Let Police Use Marijuana Odor As ‘Reasonable Cause’ That A Driver Is Impaired
Police may soon be able to use smell of marijuana as evidence of impairment in New York
Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - New York Office of Cannabis Management is challenging Gov. Kathy Hochul on a proposal in her budget that would change the Marijuana Regulation and Tax Act. Former Buffalo Police Cpt. Jeff Rinaldo says how the law is currently written, officers are prohibited from determining that a person is driving under the influence based on the odor of … [Read more...] about Police may soon be able to use smell of marijuana as evidence of impairment in New York
NY launches Cannabis Banking Directory
The New York State Office of Cannabis Management has launched the Cannabis Banking Directory, which connects licensed cannabis businesses with banks and credit unions ready to serve the industry. The program launched by OCM’s Social and Economic Equity (SEE) team is designed to increase access to financial services by reducing barriers to help create more financial stability … [Read more...] about NY launches Cannabis Banking Directory
Less Than 1.5% of New York’s Banks Credit Unions Service Cannabis Industry
As the number of cannabis businesses serving New York’s adult-use market continues to grow, the number of banking opportunities for these businesses remains limited.The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) launched a cannabis banking directory at the bottom of its Social Economic and Equity (SEE) page on its website on Feb. 5. This directory allows industry licensees to … [Read more...] about Less Than 1.5% of New York’s Banks Credit Unions Service Cannabis Industry
Lawmaker Wants Registry Of Closed Illegal Cannabis Stores
Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, D-New York City, is pictured on the Assembly floor in 2024. Rosenthal recently introduced legislation to create a registry of stores closed for illegally selling cannabis products. The state’s Cannabis Enforcement Task Force has been busy closing illegal cannabis stores around the state – including here in Chautauqua County. But no one knows just … [Read more...] about Lawmaker Wants Registry Of Closed Illegal Cannabis Stores
Connecticut Wants to Babysit Your Weed: A THC Cap Nobody Asked For
Ah yes, another day, another group of lawmakers clutching their pearls over cannabis. This time, the grand masterminds of Connecticut’s legislative circus have decided that adults can’t be trusted with weed stronger than 15% THC. Because obviously, if you let people buy potent weed, society will crumble into a smoldering heap of couch-locked anarchy.The latest genius proposal, … [Read more...] about Connecticut Wants to Babysit Your Weed: A THC Cap Nobody Asked For
New York man arrested in Mississippi for trafficking marijuana
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WHLT) – Hattiesburg police arrested a driver during a traffic stop after a search led to the discovery of 126 pounds of marijuana. According to investigators, the Hattiesburg Police Traffic Interdiction Unit initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle traveling on I-59 for a moving violation around 2:30 p.m. on January 8, 2025. Upon further investigation, … [Read more...] about New York man arrested in Mississippi for trafficking marijuana
Is Illegal Pot Shop Crackdown Sputtering as City Appeals a Court Decision?
The city sheriff shutdown over 1,300 unlicensed pot shops last year across the five boroughs but the crackdown may have hit a speed bump in recent months as the city appeals a court ruling. A slower-moving state crackdown remains ongoing, but had netted only 59 illegal store closings in Manhattan last year, a spokesperson for the Office of Cannabis Management told Straus … [Read more...] about Is Illegal Pot Shop Crackdown Sputtering as City Appeals a Court Decision?
New York Marijuana Consumption Lounges Could Sell Food And Drinks While Hosting Live Concerts Under New Bill
A newly filed bill in New York would allow future marijuana consumption lounges to sell non-infused food, non-alcoholic beverages and hold live performances such as concerts. The legislation from Assemblymember John Zaccaro (D) seeks to amend the state’s cannabis legalization law as it concerns on-site consumption licenses, none of which have yet been licensed as regulators … [Read more...] about New York Marijuana Consumption Lounges Could Sell Food And Drinks While Hosting Live Concerts Under New Bill
