{"id":75624,"date":"2024-05-26T05:11:25","date_gmt":"2024-05-26T13:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/05\/26\/top-new-york-marijuana-regulator-resigns-following-governors-criticism\/"},"modified":"2024-05-26T12:45:17","modified_gmt":"2024-05-26T20:45:17","slug":"top-new-york-marijuana-regulator-resigns-following-governors-criticism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2024\/05\/26\/top-new-york-marijuana-regulator-resigns-following-governors-criticism\/","title":{"rendered":"Top New York Marijuana Regulator Resigns Following Governor\u2019s Criticism"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

\u201cI no longer have confidence in my ability to do my job and lead this team effectively under current circumstances.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

By Rosalind Adams, THE CITY<\/strong><\/p>\n

This story was originally published<\/a> by THE CITY.\u00a0Sign up<\/a>\u00a0to get the latest\u00a0New York City news<\/a>\u00a0delivered to you each morning.<\/em><\/p>\n

The head of the state cannabis agency resigned on Friday following weeks of public turmoil between the agency and Governor Kathy Hochul\u2019s (D) office.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have been reluctant to write this email due to the deep connection and commitment I have to this work and to this Team. And while I planned to serve out the remainder of my term, I no longer have confidence in my ability to do my job and lead this team effectively under current circumstances,\u201d Chris Alexander wrote in an email obtained by THE CITY.<\/p>\n

Hochul appointed Alexander to the position in September 2021 as the inaugural head of the Office of Cannabis Management.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am grateful for Chris Alexander\u2019s work, first in developing and securing the passage of the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act and then in launching the Office of Cannabis Management,\u201d Hochul said in a statement to THE CITY.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs OCM transitions into its next phase, we look forward to continuing the world of building the strongest, most equitable industry in the nation,\u201d the statement continued.<\/p>\n

The Office of Cannabis Management did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

In January, Hochul called the rollout of the legal market a \u201cdisaster\u201d<\/a> and ordered a 30-day review of the agency by the Office of General Services. Earlier this month, she released a report<\/a> following the review that criticized the inexperienced leadership of the Office of Cannabis Management and pointed to inefficiencies in the licensing process, as well sparse service for applicants awaiting determinations on their licenses.<\/p>\n

In a press conference, Hochul said it was time for the agency to take a \u201cnew direction,\u201d noting that Alexander would step down at the end of his term in September.<\/p>\n

As Hochul announced the news, Alexander was still presiding over a Cannabis Control Board meeting in Albany. During the public comments part of the meeting, some came to his defense as the news broke.<\/p>\n

\u201cChris, I don\u2019t want you to step down, nobody wants you to step down,\u201d Matthew Robinson, a retail licensee, told the meeting attendees<\/a>. \u201cWe support you 100 percent,\u201d he said to applause.<\/p>\n

Two weeks later, Alexander resigned, saying \u201cit has been the honor of a lifetime to lead this group of the most dedicated public servants that I have ever encountered,\u201d in his email.<\/p>\n

The Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition, a national advocacy organization, rejected the Office of General Services\u2019 report findings and criticized Hochul for not reinstating Alexander as the executive director of the agency. In a statement, the coalition called the report \u201cbiased and inflammatory\u201d and said the decision to not reinstate Alexander \u201cposes a grave threat to the progress and integrity of equitable cannabis regulation in New York State.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Office of Cannabis Management wrote its own response to the Office of General Services\u2019 report, criticizing the agency for not providing a copy of the report and pointed to a number of \u201cfactual misstatements and significant omissions,\u201d according to a confidential draft of the report obtained by THE CITY. The agency shared the response with legislators.<\/p>\n

The opposing reports put the tensions between the Governor\u2019s office and the Office of Cannabis Management in public view and were further underscored by Alexander\u2019s decision to resign more immediately than intended.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be disingenuous for me to not acknowledge how difficult the last several months have been,\u201d Alexander wrote in his resignation email.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is so much left to do. But I have the utmost confidence in this Team and in you all to stay focused on the mission and to keep driving things forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

THE CITY is a nonprofit newsroom that serves the people of New York. Sign up for our SCOOP newsletter<\/a> and get exclusive stories, helpful tips, a guide to low-cost events, and everything you need to know to be a well-informed New Yorker.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

Police Groups Back Bill To End Federal Marijuana Prohibition In Legal States And Allow Interstate Commerce<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n

The post Top New York Marijuana Regulator Resigns Following Governor\u2019s Criticism<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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\nRead More: Top New York Marijuana Regulator Resigns Following Governor\u2019s Criticism<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cI no longer have confidence in my ability to do my job and lead this team effectively under current circumstances.\u201d By Rosalind Adams, THE CITY This story was originally published by THE CITY.\u00a0Sign up\u00a0to get the latest\u00a0New York City news\u00a0delivered to you each morning. The head of the state cannabisContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":457,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75624"}],"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\/457"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75624"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75624\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75625,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75624\/revisions\/75625"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75624"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75624"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75624"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}