New York marijuana regulators have announced that they will be launching a pilot program allowing cannabis farmers markets “within the next month”.
Officials from the Office of Cannabis Management of New York said Thursday that farmers markets for marijuana could help growers meet the demand of consumers while also allowing them to sell products they grew last year on the legal market.
John Kagia, OCM’s Director of Policy, said there were “several internal issues” that they are still working on. However, he has the authority to speak about the program.
In municipalities that allow them, the plan is to host farmers markets-style events with “a minimum of 3 growers” as well as at least 1 licensed retailer.
The Department of Public Health will need to issue additional permits before allowing people to consume marijuana on the market. Also, organizers must ensure that alcohol will not be sold at events.
OCM Chief equity officer Damian Fagon stated at the event that the regulators hope the farmers markets will be ready for opening “optimistically within a week.” This was the first report by New York Cannabis Insider.
Fagon stated that “a lot of it is up to you to self-organize.” “We want to create guidelines for the pilot, and then let you guys run with it.”
— Cannabis Association of New York May 26, 2019 HTML0
Farmers could theoretically apply to the municipality for permission to hold their farmers’ markets on their property. They could also join events such as concerts and festivals, which are organized separately.
The alternative sales model, which is currently only available in New York at just under a dozen retailers licensed to sell cannabis, could be a way to increase access as regulators continue their work on establishing additional legal retail outlets.
Kagia stated, “We believe this is important because it accomplishes two things.” It allows growers to reach out to consumers in New York who will be purchasing legal, regulated products. You can also tell your story.
The idea is that retailers will be restricted to regions in which they are authorized to operate while growers can sell their product anywhere in the state.
The announcement of the pilot farmers market program coincides with Gov. The Kathy Hochul (D) Administration is stepping up its efforts to help people transition to the legal market despite the current bottleneck of retailer license approvals.
launched a public awareness campaign last month to encourage adults to purchase marijuana only from licensed retailers to ensure the products are safe, and to use revenue to further equity and reinvestment objectives.
New York Senate has also formed a Committee that is exclusively focused on marijuana. This committee will work with regulators to help shape the cannabis market in New York.
In March, officials announced that they will double the number of adult-use cannabis licenses that are approved from 150 to 300. This was after certain applicants indicated that they could open their storefronts more quickly without any additional assistance through a program that is designed to assist eligible entities in creating physical locations.
As the state struggles with the regulation of the adult-use marijuana market, the governor recently introduced legislation that would increase enforcement authority in order to crackdown on illegal marijuana retailers.
Hochul , a member of the team, visited one of only a few cannabis retailers that are currently in operation in February. She did not buy anything but she indicated her willingness to try marijuana in the near future.
Hochul unveiled separately in December a tool for verifying marijuana businesses and products. The plan is to place a QR code at licensed cannabis retailers, and a universal symbol on the label of authorized cannabis products.
She also signed, in late November , a bill aimed at expanding the hemp market of the state through collaborative partnerships that identify new opportunities for using the crop and derivatives it produces as packaging and construction materials.
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Photo by Mike Latimer.
The first time Marijuana moment published the post New York Regulators plan to launch Marijuana Farmers Markets “Within A month” To help meet demand.
