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As New York prepares to launch retail marijuana sales, a state senator wants to ensure that cannabis products are sustainably packaged, and she\u2019s introduced legislation to accomplish that by prioritizing hemp-based packaging.<\/p>\n
Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D) filed the bill earlier this month, making the case that hemp represents an environmentally friendlier alternative to synthetic plastics. She said setting a standard where the crop is utilized for adult-use marijuana packaging would also support businesses in the burgeoning hemp market.<\/p>\n
Under the proposal, the state\u2019s Cannabis Control Board would be required to \u201cdevelop strategic plans detailing the primary use of industrial hemp for packaging and labeling requirements to be used prior to the retail sale of any cannabis or cannabis product to a cannabis consumer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Further, the legislation<\/a> calls for the establishment of a \u201cSustainable Cannabis Packaging Incubator Program\u201d to provide financial incentives for businesses to create \u201ccompostable and biodegradable cannabis packaging materials.\u201d Participants in the program would need to make packaging that contains at least 30 percent hemp.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no other natural resource that offers the same environmental, agricultural and economic potential as hemp,\u201d Hinchey said<\/a> in a press release. \u201cMy bill will create a market, kickstarting the industry and moving New York State to the forefront in a way that will help us tackle the climate crisis, give our small farmers a competitive edge, and boost upstate economic development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n \u201cWith my bill, we have an incredible opportunity to unleash the potential of biodegradable hemp-based products that slashes our use of plastics, incentivizes farmers and entrepreneurs to be part of this innovation stage, and propels an industry that has not reached even a fraction of its full potential,\u201d she said. \u201cEnvironmentally-safe industrialized hemp is the future of manufacturing and I look forward to getting my bill passed in the 2022 session so that New York can lead the way in this emerging market.\u201d<\/p>\n This bill represents the continuation of a family legacy on cannabis reform, as the senator\u2019s late father, former U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), sponsored the early versions of a congressional spending bill rider that protects medical cannabis states from federal interference<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are downing in a world of excessive, non-biodegradable packaging, leaving our landfills overflowing and our waterways littered with plastics,\u201d the justification section of the new hemp measure states. \u201cIn order to solve our solid waste problem, we have to be creative with new forms of packaging and the materials we use to create it.\u201d<\/p>\n Other states that have moved to legalize cannabis have seen \u201cdramatic increases in waste management issues caused by single-use containers for adult-use and medicinal cannabis, further adding to our ever-growing solid waste crisis,\u201d it continues. \u201cThis bill seeks to capitalize on the burgeoning market for hemp, setting New York State as a leader in the new biodegradable and industrial material, while responding to a predictable and foreseeable problem in significantly increased environmentally-harmful waste.\u201d<\/p>\n Environmentally-safe industrialized #hemp<\/a> is the future of manufacturing, & my bill gives NY the opportunity to kickstart this industry in a way that will help us:<\/p>\n \u2014 Senator Michelle Hinchey (@SenatorHinchey) November 19, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n \u201cThis bill, moreover, supports New York State farmers already in, or seeking to enter, the hemp industry as they will cultivate and provide the raw materials used for packaging items in the growing adult-use cannabis space. Both cannabis and hemp are agricultural products, and these new market opportunities will significantly bolster the current standing of many of our State\u2019s farms. The Legislature is in a position to find innovative ways to meet the goals of climate change mitigation and support our struggling agricultural markets creating a win-win-win for the environment, our farms, and the farm-economy.\u201d<\/p>\n New York lawmakers have been proactive in seeking to improve the state\u2019s adult-use marijuana law since the reform was approved earlier this year<\/a> and as regulators continue to develop rules for the program.<\/p>\n \u2014 For example, another senator filed a bill this month to make it so transgender and non-binary people can qualify as social equity applicants<\/a> under the state\u2019s cannabis law.<\/p>\n Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D) introduced the legislation in an attempt to resolve an \u201cunintended consequence\u201d of the adult-use law, which would currently \u201cforce certain individuals from choosing between their gender identity and receiving priority for a license,\u201d the bill\u2019s justification section states.<\/p>\n Currently, adults 21 and older can possess up to three ounces of cannabis or 24 grams of concentrates\u2014and they can also\u00a0smoke marijuana in public anywhere tobacco can be smoked<\/a>\u2014but there aren\u2019t any shops open for business yet.<\/p>\n The first licensed recreational marijuana retailers in New York\u00a0may actually be located on Indian territory<\/a>, with one tribe officially opening applications for prospective licensees in October.<\/p>\n In July, a New York senator filed a bill to\u00a0create a provisional marijuana licensing category<\/a>\u00a0so that farmers could begin cultivating and selling cannabis ahead of the formal rollout of the adult-use program. The bill has been referred to the Senate Rules Committee.<\/p>\n Because the implementation process has been drawn out, however, one GOP senator wants to give local jurisdictions another year to decide\u00a0whether they will opt out of allowing marijuana businesses<\/a>\u00a0to operate in their area\u2014a proposal that advocates say is unnecessary and would create undue complications for the industry.<\/p>\n Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who replaced Andrew Cuomo after he resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal, has repeatedly emphasized her interest in efficiently implementing the legalization law<\/a>.<\/p>\n At a recent event, she touted the fact that\u00a0she had quickly made regulatory appointments<\/a>\u00a0that had been delayed under her predecessor. \u201cI believe there\u2019s thousands and thousands of jobs\u201d that could be created in the new industry, the governor said.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, New York\u2019s Cannabis Control Board (CCB)\u00a0held its first meeting last month<\/a>, a key step toward implementing the state\u2019s adult-use marijuana program.<\/p>\n Members of the board, who were\u00a0appointed by the governor and legislative leaders<\/a>, announced that medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed to sell flower cannabis products to qualified patients. The $50 registration fee for patients and caregivers was also permanently waived.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, regulators also\u00a0approved rules for the state\u2019s cannabinoid hemp program<\/a>, notably clarifying that flower from the crop can be sold but delta-8 THC products are currently prohibited from being marketed.<\/p>\n Adding pressure to get the market up and running is the fact that regulators in neighboring New Jersey\u00a0recently released rules for its adult-use marijuana program<\/a>, which is being implemented after voters approved a legalization referendum last year.<\/p>\n The state comptroller recently projected that New York stands to eventually\u00a0generate $245 million in annual marijuana revenue<\/a>, which they say will help\u00a0offset losses from declining tobacco sales<\/a>.<\/p>\n For the first year of cannabis sales, the state is expected to see just $20 million in tax and fee collections. That will be part of an estimated $26.7 billion in new revenues that New York is expected to generate in fiscal year 2021-2022 under a budget that the legislature passed in April.<\/p>\n The state Department of Labor separately announced in new guidance that New York employers are no longer allowed to\u00a0drug test most workers for marijuana<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, a New York lawmaker introduced a bill in June that would require the state to establish an institute to\u00a0research the therapeutic potential of psychedelics<\/a>.<\/p>\n Ohio Marijuana Activists Almost Have Enough Signatures To Force Lawmakers To Consider Legalization<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Brendan Cleak.<\/em><\/p>\n The post New York Bill Would Encourage Marijuana Packaging Made From Hemp As A Sustainable Plastic Alternative<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
As New York prepares to launch retail marijuana sales, a state senator wants to ensure that cannabis products are sustainably packaged, and she\u2019s introduced legislation to accomplish that by prioritizing hemp-based packaging. Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D) filed the bill earlier this month, making the case that hemp represents an environmentallyContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":51306,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51305"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51305"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51305\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":51307,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51305\/revisions\/51307"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/51306"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51305"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51305"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51305"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
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\nRead More: New York Bill Would Encourage Marijuana Packaging Made From Hemp As A Sustainable Plastic Alternative<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"