Governor Kathy Hochul, stepping into her role in August 2023 following Andrew Cuomo’s resignation, has been vocal about her vexation with the sluggish progress of marijuana licensing in the Empire State. Her message is clear: she’s had enough of the delays.
Governor Hochul, positioning cannabis legalization as a cornerstone of her administration, has been proactive in her approach. She’s infused fresh blood into the Cannabis Control Board – the body at the helm of the marijuana licensing voyage – by appointing two new members. This move was strategic, aimed at turbocharging the implementation of the law. However, the path has been anything but smooth.
Budget wrangles, legal tangles, and staffing shortages have hamstrung the board’s efforts. The result? A logjam in the marijuana licensing process, casting a shadow of uncertainty over eager marijuana businesses and consumers awaiting the green light for the legal market.
During a press conference on September 14, 2023, Hochul didn’t mince her words: “I am very fed up with the fact that we have not had the ability to get the licenses out for the adult-use cannabis industry,” she declared. “I want to get this done. I want to get this done yesterday.”
Rewind to March 2021: New York took the leap, becoming the 15th state to legalize adult-use marijuana. The law was a bold stroke, allowing adults aged 21 and over to possess up to three ounces of cannabis and cultivate up to six plants at home. It also paved the way for a regulated market for marijuana products, complete with a 13% sales tax and a social equity fund to uplift communities bruised by cannabis prohibition.
At the heart of the law lies a commitment to social and economic equity. The plan? To hand over half of all retail licenses to applicants from communities battered by the war on drugs. The Office of Cannabis Management, an extension of the Cannabis Control Board, bears this responsibility.
But herein lies the rub: when it comes to actual marijuana licensing, not one license has been issued. Application guidelines? Still under wraps. Criteria for hopeful entrepreneurs? A big question mark. This scenario has brewed a potent mix of frustration and uncertainty, particularly among marginalized groups who’ve been on the sidelines, waiting for their chance to dive into the legal industry.
Governor Hochul isn’t sitting back. She’s hustling with the board to streamline the licensing procedure and anchor the law in fairness and equity. Her call to the public? Patience and support for a process that promises revenue, job creation, and social justice.
“We are going to get this done right,” Hochul assures. “We are going to get this done in a way that uplifts communities that have been left behind for too long. We are going to get this done in a way that generates revenue for this state that helps us rebuild from COVID, that helps us invest in our schools, in our health care, in our infrastructure. We are going to get this done in a way that creates a whole new industry that will employ thousands of New Yorkers.”
The Governor eyes early 2024 for the marijuana licensing process to kick into gear, though she stops short of pinning down a specific timeline. Her commitment is to work hand-in-hand with the Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management to bring the law to life without further ado.
“I am not going to give up on this,” Hochul asserts firmly. “I am going to make this happen.” In a state known for making big things happen, the cannabis community watches with bated breath, hoping for a smooth sail in New York’s marijuana licensing journey.
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