The chair of New York’s Senate Cannabis Committee invites members of the public who are interested in testifying at an upcoming meeting on the challenges facing New York’s legal cannabis industry to apply.
Senator Jeremy Cooney announced Monday that anyone who wishes to speak at the meeting on October 30 must complete an online witness request.
In a recent press release, Cooney, who earlier this year was named to head the Senate’s very first cannabis committee, stated that the goal of the hearing was to get feedback from a variety of people involved in adult-use cannabis.
He continued by saying that it was “extremely important for transparency and diversity in voices” that anyone interested could use their voice.
Cooney announced the hearing on marijuana in early September. He said that its purpose was to “address the many challenges we have faced with the launch of adult-use Cannabis here in New York.”
In recent months, frustrations about New York’s marijuana program have increased as regulators worked to create a market which prioritizes social justice, by awarding conditional licences to those who have been most affected by prohibition. However, the process has been very slow and illicit cannabis businesses have sprung up in the meantime. lawsuits temporarily stopped cannabis licensing and further complicated the issue.
Cooney stated last month that “we have a duty to work with our Governor and our State agencies to ensure our collective goals are achieved.” “And New Yorkers deserve transparency in their government when it comes to what has been achieved so far,” Cooney said last month.
Cooney told Marijuana Moment in a previous interview that the Hearing of the 12-member Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis was primarily intended to be a “fact finding” process. “We will hopefully identify specific needs for public policy [and] legislation during the hearing process.” It’s crucial that we start this process now, in the fall, prior to our meeting in Albany.
The Senate Agriculture, Finance, and Investigations & Government Operations Committees will hold the hearing.
Everyone who wants to speak must fill out a Witness Request Form. Cooney stated in his announcement that the number of anticipated commenters is so high that not everyone will get a chance. He said that written testimony will be available as well.
Regulatory agencies are taking steps to expand access to the legal marijuana market. Some of these moves have been controversial. The state Cannabis Control Board made a change last month to allow all applicants to apply for retail licenses, including large businesses outside of the state as well as existing medical marijuana companies. Social equity applicants were outraged by the change, claiming it would undermine the state’s ambitious plans to prioritize small business and companies owned by those most directly affected by prohibition.
Expanding the eligibility to participate in the state’s cannabis market will likely speed up the opening of legal businesses, especially in New York City. Even though the state approved adult-use legalization for 2021, only two dozen legal stores have opened in New York State.
A judge halted the licensing of Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensaries (CAURD), in an August ruling. This prevented regulators from granting or processing new licenses for conditional adult use recreational dispensaries.
Cooney stated at the time that the decision of the judge to stop new cannabis licenses until the legal challenge is resolved, “disappointed him”.
In an effort to increase consumer access to marijuana that is legal, New York regulators launched the Cannabis Growers Showcase, a program of the Office of Cannabis Management.
approved the program by a vote in July, and quickly began accepting applications. In August, the Hudson Valley hosted its first pop-up. Another was held near the state fair.
Last month, 66 lawmakers from the state–about one-third of all state legislators–also sent a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), urging her to sign a law that would allow licensed marijuana manufacturers to sell their products to tribal retailers. This plan will provide a way for cannabis farmers to release surpluses they have but are unable to sell.
In the letter, it is stated that growers have more than 250.000 pounds of cannabis they are not selling. Farmers who borrowed money and used all of their assets to grow these crops face financial ruin unless they are provided with an alternative market.
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