![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-5.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
A newly filed bill in New York would allow future marijuana consumption lounges to sell non-infused food, non-alcoholic beverages and hold live performances such as concerts.<\/p>\n
The legislation from Assemblymember John Zaccaro (D) seeks to amend the state\u2019s cannabis legalization law as it concerns on-site consumption licenses, none of which have yet been licensed as regulators take a methodical approach to launching the legal marijuana market.<\/p>\n
Under the current law, consumption lounge licensees are prohibited from allowing certain activities on their premises\u2014including \u201cgambling, exposing or simulating, contests, or fireworks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Zaccaro\u2019s bill<\/a> would clarify what activities and services the operators could<\/em> offer. Specifically, it stipulates that on-site consumption facilities could sell non-infused food and non-alcoholic drinks. They could also allow and sell tickets for \u201clive musical or other performances not otherwise prohibited\u201d under statute.<\/p>\n It\u2019s unclear when the state\u2019s first consumption lounge licenses will be awarded, or if the bill will be enacted before those businesses get approved. But the proposed reform represents one of the latest efforts by lawmakers to diversify the market.<\/p>\n After a\u00a0slow initial rollout in late 2022<\/a>, what\u2019s expected to eventually be a massive state marijuana market is finally gaining steam. Late last month, OCM reported that\u00a0state-licensed retailers had sold more than $1 billion worth of legal cannabis products<\/a>.<\/p>\n OCM\u2019s acting executive director, Felicia Reid, said last week that it\u2019s possible the state could double its adult-use marijuana sales in the coming year,\u00a0potentially reaching $1.5 billion in cannabis purchases during 2025<\/a>. Another OCM official said he expected \u201cover 350 dispensaries to open in 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n Meanwhile, state regulators released a package of annual reports<\/a> last week that emphasized their work to promote social equity in the marketplace and crack down on illicit operators.<\/p>\n This past October, the office in a separate report acknowledged what it called \u201cgrowing pains\u201d during the launch of the New York\u2019s adult-use market<\/a>\u2014including a\u00a0slow market rollout<\/a>,\u00a0leadership controversies<\/a>\u00a0and so-called\u00a0\u201cpredatory deals\u201d around the state\u2019s marijuana social equity fund<\/a>\u2014but also said they were confident the state was poised for success.<\/p>\n In November, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes called for the state to\u00a0extend financial aid to retail operators operators struggling under high-cost loans from a social equity fund<\/a>\u00a0created as a core part of the legalization program.<\/p>\n Later in the month,\u00a0Hochul signed two new cannabis-related bills into law<\/a>\u2014one to revive the Cannabis Growers Showcase program, where\u00a0producers sell products directly to consumers at farmers market-style events<\/a>, and another clarifying that cannabis is categorized as an agricultural crop in the state.<\/p>\n The governor argued in June, meanwhile, that there\u2019s a\u00a0direct correlation between stepped-up enforcement and \u201cdramatically\u201d increased legal sales<\/a>. A report by state officials last year\u00a0found both \u201cgrowing pains\u201d and \u201csuccessful efforts\u201d in New York\u2019s marijuana market launch<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u2014 In August, the governor\u00a0lauded what she called the state\u2019s \u201csmokin\u2019 hot\u201d marijuana market<\/a>, as the retailers in state passed the half-billion-dollar mark in legal sales since the market\u2019s launch.<\/p>\n The governor also said in June that the state\u2019s escalated enforcement actions against illicit marijuana shops is\u00a0resulting in a significant increase in legal sales at licensed retailers<\/a>.<\/p>\n She made the comments amid criticism from equity-focused activists over what they see as a \u201ccorporate takeover\u201d of the cannabis market, citing reporting about the administration dismissing\u00a0concerns from state officials about a \u201cpredatory\u201d private equity loan deal<\/a>\u00a0the state approved to provide funding for startup cannabis retailers.<\/p>\n Certain advocates say Hochul has \u201cfalsely\u201d blamed the legalization law itself for the state\u2019s troubles with the illicit market, without taking responsibility for the administration\u2019s role. To that end, there has been\u00a0criticism of the governor\u2019s ousting of Chris Alexander as executive director<\/a>\u00a0of OCM last year.<\/p>\n In an attempt to rein in unlicensed sales, the governor in February\u00a0called on big tech companies such as Google and Meta<\/a>\u00a0to \u201cdo the right thing\u201d by taking steps to stop promoting illicit marijuana shops, which have proliferated across the state.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, New York officials this summer\u00a0rolled out a broad plan to encourage environmental sustainability<\/a>\u00a0and set energy use standards within the state\u2019s legal marijuana industry. It\u2019s part of regulators\u2019 broader goal of promoting economic, environmental and social sustainability in the emerging sector.<\/p>\n In June, state regulators also formally approved rules to\u00a0allow adults 21 and older to grow their own cannabis plants<\/a>\u00a0for personal use.<\/p>\n In September, meanwhile, the state announced it\u2019s preparing to deploy up to $5 million in grants funded by marijuana tax revenue as part of an\u00a0effort to reinvest in areas disproportionately impacted by the the war on drugs<\/a>. OCM said the awards aim \u201cto redress a wide range of community needs\u2014from housing to childcare to job skills training and many areas in between.\u201d<\/p>\n Separately,\u00a0a group of 18 organizations recently wrote to New York\u2019s governor<\/a>\u00a0to express dismay at what they described as marijuana regulators\u2019 \u201cefforts in service of big corporations at the expense of small business and equity outcomes\u201d during the latter half of last year.<\/p>\n Kentucky Governor Shares Tips On How To Register For Medical Marijuana Access<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Martin Alonso<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post New York Marijuana Consumption Lounges Could Sell Food And Drinks While Hosting Live Concerts Under New Bill<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
A newly filed bill in New York would allow future marijuana consumption lounges to sell non-infused food, non-alcoholic beverages and hold live performances such as concerts. The legislation from Assemblymember John Zaccaro (D) seeks to amend the state\u2019s cannabis legalization law as it concerns on-site consumption licenses, none of whichContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":79648,"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\/79647"}],"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=79647"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79647\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":79649,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/79647\/revisions\/79649"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/79648"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=79647"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=79647"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=79647"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nMarijuana Moment is tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.<\/strong>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-4.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/a>
\nLearn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nRead More: New York Marijuana Consumption Lounges Could Sell Food And Drinks While Hosting Live Concerts Under New Bill<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"