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Key members of the New York Assembly and Senate recently filed bills that would provide provisional marijuana cultivator and processor licenses for existing hemp businesses that take certain steps to promote equity in the emerging industry.<\/p>\n
The bicameral legislation is being led by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D) and Sen. Michelle Hinchey (D). Peoples-Stokes sponsored the adult-use legalization law that took effect last year along with Sen. Liz Krueger (D), who is listed as a cosponsor of the new licensing bill.<\/p>\n
The measure is meant to simultaneously expedite the process of standing up New York\u2019s adult-use market while supporting efforts to reach ambitious equity goals with respect to cannabis business participation.<\/p>\n
As it stands, adults 21 and older can\u00a0possess and publicly consume cannabis<\/a>, as well as gift marijuana to other adults as long as they aren\u2019t being compensated. But regulators are still finalizing licensing rules, and there are currently no retailers that are authorized to sell cannabis for adult use in the state.<\/p>\n The justification section for the bill says that it is \u201cnecessary to allow for a timely establishment of the adult-use cannabis market by allowing for the temporary conditional cultivation and processing of adult-use cannabis as soon as is feasible.\u201d<\/p>\n Unlike a separate temporary licensing bill that was filed<\/a> in the Senate last year, this one puts a strong emphasis on equity objectives.<\/p>\n Not only would prospective conditional license holders need to have been authorized by the state Department of Agriculture to grow hemp as of December 31, 2021\u2014and have grown the crop for two of the past four years\u2014they would also be required to \u201cparticipate in an environmental sustainability program and a social equity mentorship program.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch mentorship program shall be directed to train individuals interested in becoming licensed cultivators and shall leverage remote and in-person mentees with experience in agriculture business management, sustainable cannabis cultivation, and best practices,\u201d the bill text says, adding that mentees must fit within the established definition of an equity applicant.<\/p>\n That currently includes people from communities disproportionately impacted by prohibition, minority- and women-owned businesses, distressed farmers and service-disabled veterans. However, other bills have been introduced in recent months that are aimed as expanding the equity qualifications<\/a> to include other groups such as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and non-binary people.<\/p>\n Further, the new<\/a> bill<\/a> requires conditional licensees to \u201center into a labor peace agreement with a bona-fide labor organization that is actively engaged in representing or attempting to represent the applicant\u2019s employees within six months of licensure.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2014 The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) would be able to issue the conditional licenses up until June 1, 2023, after which point businesses would be required to apply under a standard adult-use license. The conditional licenses would be invalidated in their entirety as of June 30, 2024.<\/p>\n Conditional cultivator licensees would be authorized to \u201cminimally process and distribute cannabis products, provided that such final products shall be in the form of cannabis flower,\u201d the bill says.<\/p>\n \u201cThis bill will be particularly helpful in providing social equity retail dispensary licensees with products on day one of retail sales,\u201d the justification section says. \u201cAdditionally, this bill will facilitate interested social equity cultivators and processors with a pathway to licensure through invaluable experience and knowledge gained by partnering with current experienced hemp cultivators and processors through a social equity mentorship program.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThis bill will ultimately strengthen the social equity program, and assist in achieving the goal that fifty percent of all licenses be awarded to social equity applicants,\u201d it says.<\/p>\n For those who are awarded a conditional license and maintain good standing in compliance with the rules and requirements, those provisional cultivators and processors will \u201cbe eligible to apply for and receive an adult-use cultivation license, provided the licensee can meet all requirements of the new license.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cSuch a licensee will receive, at minimum, an adult-use cultivator license for the size of flowering canopy that they were licensed to grow pursuant to their conditional adult-use cultivator license or a larger size flowering canopy and authorization to use artificial light as may be set out by the board in regulation,\u201d the text states.<\/p>\n Passing legislation that expedites licensing could help the state reduce the number of businesses that are effectively using the legal \u201cgifting\u201d provision of the state\u2019s marijuana law to give away cannabis for \u201cfree\u201d if a non-marijuana-related purchase is made.<\/p>\n New York regulators recently issued warnings to more than two dozen businesses<\/a> that they allege are either illegally selling marijuana without a license or exploiting the \u201cgifting\u201d component.<\/p>\n Here are some other ways that New York lawmakers and regulators are working to build upon the legalization law as the state prepares to implement retail sales:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Earlier this month, for example, a state senator filed a bill that would promote recycling in the marijuana industry<\/a>\u00a0once retail sales officially launch.<\/p>\n Hinchey is also sponsoring that legislation, which would require cannabis shops to apply a $1 deposit for any marijuana products sold in single-use plastic containers and also reimburse consumers for that fee if they return the container.<\/p>\n The senator is also behind a separate bill filed last year that would\u00a0prioritize hemp-based packaging over synthetic plastics<\/a>\u00a0for marijuana products.<\/p>\n The recycling bill is\u00a0identical to an Assembly version filed<\/a>\u00a0by Assemblywoman Patricia Fahy (D) last year.<\/p>\n Sen. Jeremey Cooney (D) is sponsoring a recently introduced bill to allow licensed cannabis companies to deduct certain business expenses<\/a> on their state tax returns. He\u2019s also behind the aforementioned measures to expand the marijuana law\u2019s equity definition and provide provisional licenses to get the market ready.<\/p>\n Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who replaced Cuomo after he resigned amid a sexual harassment scandal, has repeatedly emphasized her interest in\u00a0efficiently implementing the legalization law<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hochul released a State of the State book last month that called for\u00a0the creation of a $200 million public-private fund<\/a>\u00a0to specifically help promote social equity in the state\u2019s burgeoning marijuana market.<\/p>\n The governor said that while cannabis business licenses have yet to be approved since legalization was signed into law last year, the market stands to generate billions of dollars, and it\u2019s important to \u201ccreate opportunities for all New Yorkers, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.\u201d<\/p>\n That proposal was\u00a0also cited in Hochul\u2019s executive budget<\/a>, which was released last month. The budget also estimated that New York stands to generate more than $1.25 billion in marijuana tax revenue over the next six years.<\/p>\n The state Department of Labor separately announced in recent 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 Another state legislator filed legislation in December to\u00a0legalize psilocybin mushrooms for medical purposes<\/a>\u00a0and establish facilities where the psychedelic could be grown and administered to patients.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, as New York prepares the launch of its adult-use marijuana market, OCM announced this month a significant expansion of the existing medical cannabis program<\/a>.<\/p>\n Now doctors will be able to issue medical marijuana recommendations to people for any condition that they feel could be treated by cannabis, rather than rely on a list of specific eligible maladies.<\/p>\n Maryland Lawmakers Take First Step To Putting Marijuana Legalization On 2022 Ballot With Hearing On Two Bills<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Brendan Cleak.<\/em><\/p>\n The post New York Bill Would Give Temporary Marijuana Licenses To Hemp Growers To Prepare For Sales And Promote Equity<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
Key members of the New York Assembly and Senate recently filed bills that would provide provisional marijuana cultivator and processor licenses for existing hemp businesses that take certain steps to promote equity in the emerging industry. The bicameral legislation is being led by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D) andContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":52905,"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\/52904"}],"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=52904"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52904\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52906,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52904\/revisions\/52906"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52904"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52904"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52904"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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\nRead More: New York Bill Would Give Temporary Marijuana Licenses To Hemp Growers To Prepare For Sales And Promote Equity<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"