{"id":81311,"date":"2025-05-20T12:12:20","date_gmt":"2025-05-20T20:12:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2025\/05\/20\/new-york-officials-take-steps-to-expand-marijuana-farmers-market-program\/"},"modified":"2025-05-21T19:47:21","modified_gmt":"2025-05-22T03:47:21","slug":"new-york-officials-take-steps-to-expand-marijuana-farmers-market-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2025\/05\/20\/new-york-officials-take-steps-to-expand-marijuana-farmers-market-program\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Officials Take Steps To Expand Marijuana Farmers Market Program"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

New York marijuana regulators are moving forward with new proposed regulations around the state\u2019s so-called \u201ccannabis showcase\u201d program, which allows licensed businesses to sell to consumers at pop-up, farmers market-like events.<\/p>\n

Members of the Cannabis Control Board (CCB), which oversees the state\u2019s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), voted without opposition at a meeting on Tuesday to advance the 23-page showcase expansion plan, which next proceeds to a public comment stage.<\/p>\n

The new rules follow the enactment of legislation signed by Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) in March that built on the existing showcase program<\/a>, which was first created in 2023.<\/p>\n

In a presentation to the board on Tuesday, John Kagia, OCM\u2019s director of policy, said the program has \u201cproved to be a particularly compelling way for the new, fast-growing, regulated cannabis market to get out in the community, to build relationships with consumers and to begin the process of normalizing cannabis in the state of New York.\u201d<\/p>\n

Between summer 2023 and the end of that year, he noted, New York saw over 60 showcase events that together brought in more than $10 million in revenue for participating businesses.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt really established that there was real interest, both from the licensees and from the communities where these events were being hosted, to allow cannabis to exist out of the four walls of our retail dispensaries,\u201d Kagia said.<\/p>\n

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The #NYCCB<\/a> approves the next step in establishing Cannabis Showcase Event Permits by directing the Office to file proposed regulations with the Secretary of State.<\/p>\n

➡️ View the proposed regulations: https:\/\/t.co\/iEtN7o8vwg<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) May 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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New York initially\u00a0authorized cannabis farmers market events in 2023<\/a>, aiming to expedite consumer access to legal marijuana products while brick-and-mortar retailers were still being approved. After the program sunsetted in January 2024, Hochul signed legislation to revive the program last December<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The newly advanced rules would allow adult-use cannabis retailers or so-called \u201cregistered organizations\u201d\u2014medical marijuana businesses that in some cases can sell to adult consumers\u2014to obtain permits allowing for the display and sale of legal products.<\/p>\n

The events could occur at public markets, pop-up locations, existing cannabis business sites\u2014for example a hemp store\u2014as well as other locations, though only state-licensed cannabis retailers could apply for showcase permits.<\/p>\n

Asked by CCB members about whether events might compete with brick-and-mortar retailers, Kagia said that while the new rules try to strike a balance, regulators are open to outside suggestions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is part of the reason why we so welcome the public feedback,\u201d he said. \u201cThis is a set of proposals that we tried to strike this balance between distance and not creating essentially a second dispensary that around the corner from an extended store.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe deeply encourage both the stakeholders in this room, the folks who are watching and particularly the municipalities,\u201d he continued, \u201cto weigh in on what they think would be best for the communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much like farmers markets, cannabis showcase events are intended to be temporary. Permits under the new regulations would be effective for no more than 14 days, and events themselves could last for no more than 14 consecutive days or more than 45 total days in a calendar year.<\/p>\n

If a showcase event were going to host multiple cannabis retailers, a separate permit would be required \u201cfor each adult-use cannabis retailer seeking to locate an event at a pop-up, farmers\u2019 market, or public market,\u201d the proposal<\/a> says.<\/p>\n

Licensed cannabis businesses could participate in multiple events at one time\u2014in part by partnering with showcase-permitted businesses\u2014but could not receive permits for more than two showcases at a time.<\/p>\n

With CCB\u2019s approval of the resolution, the regulations will be posted on a government website and enter a public comment period, which \u201cwill take anywhere from 45 to 100-plus days,\u201d Kagia said, \u201cso the events will not be active for some time.\u201d<\/p>\n

As originally authorized, the showcase events were largely in response to the slow rollout of New York\u2019s adult-use marijuana program, which faced multiple delays in implementation amid litigation<\/a> and other matters.<\/p>\n

But the state\u2019s industry has gradually expanded, with officials in January touting $1 billion in total sales since the market launched<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Currently, there are 1,726 state-licensed marijuana businesses in New York, according to officials. That includes 52 new business license applications approved at Tuesday\u2019s meeting. A number of other applications are still delayed as the result of litigation.<\/p>\n

Separately in New York, Hochul earlier this month signed state budget legislation that did not include a controversial earlier provision\u00a0that\u00a0would have allowed police to use the smell of marijuana as probable cause<\/a> that a driver is impaired\u00a0and then force them to take a drug test.<\/p>\n

Amendments made in the legislature removed the provision, which a coalition of 60 reform groups had argued in a letter to Hochul and top lawmakers would \u201crepeat some of the worst harms of the War on Drugs\u201d<\/a>\u00a0and allow law enforcement to \u201crestart unconstitutional racial profiling of drivers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Historically, New York has been home to some of the country\u2019s starkest racial disparities when it comes to enforcement of laws against marijuana. For example, Black people in New York City in the 2010s were\u00a0more than nine times more likely\u00a0to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a recent OCM report said the number of licensed marijuana retailers in the state grew by nearly threefold last year, fueling total sales in 2024 of nearly $870 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Including sales so far in 2025, New York\u2019s legal cannabis market is now close to reaching $1.5 billion worth of purchases, OCM said late last month.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the 4\/20 holiday last month, regulators also\u00a0rolled out a \u201chigher education\u201d campaign meant to provide adults with information<\/a>\u00a0about how to \u201cmake informed, responsible decisions about cannabis,\u201d including how to locate state-licensed retailers.<\/p>\n

The office also advises that \u201ccontinued enforcement against the illicit market is critical to building a health regulated market,\u201d pointing to what it describes as successful enforcement efforts in 2024. Last spring, for example, officials in New York City launched Operation Padlock, an enforcement initiative meant to shutter illegal storefronts<\/a>. Within months, licensed shops that were open before the operation began saw sales climb 105 percent, according to an OCM survey.<\/p>\n

Also last month, New York cannabis regulators and labor officials\u00a0announced the launch of a workforce training program<\/a>\u00a0aimed at \u201cproviding comprehensive safety education to workers\u201d in the state\u2019s legal marijuana industry.<\/p>\n

Separately, OCM\u2019s press secretary recently indicated the office is working on plans to expand permitting and licensing rules that\u00a0could allow adults to buy and consume marijuana at movie theaters<\/a>. Authorizing sales of cannabis products at theaters would set New York apart as it continues to build upon the state\u2019s legalization law.<\/p>\n

State officials also recently launched a grant program that will\u00a0award up to $30,000 apiece to retail marijuana businesses<\/a>\u00a0to help cover startup costs.<\/p>\n

Also, earlier this year, a collective of\u00a0businesses licensed under the CAURD program called on Hochul to forgive tens of millions of dollars in high-cost loans<\/a>\u00a0issued under a governor-created social equity loan fund.<\/p>\n

Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D)\u00a0said in December that there\u2019s a need to extend financial aid to CAURD license holders<\/a>, many of whom are struggling under the high-cost loans.<\/p>\n

Critics\u2014including the NAACP New York State Conference, Black Cannabis Industry Association, Minority Cannabis Business Association, Service Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association, Drug Policy Alliance, NYC NORML and VOCAL-NY\u2014wrote to the governor earlier that month\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<\/a><\/p>\n

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GOP Congressman Details \u2018Life-Saving\u2019 Psychedelic Therapy Experience Where He Saw Cosmic Colors And Time Travel<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The post New York Officials Take Steps To Expand Marijuana Farmers Market Program<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n


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\nRead More: New York Officials Take Steps To Expand Marijuana Farmers Market Program<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

New York marijuana regulators are moving forward with new proposed regulations around the state\u2019s so-called \u201ccannabis showcase\u201d program, which allows licensed businesses to sell to consumers at pop-up, farmers market-like events. Members of the Cannabis Control Board (CCB), which oversees the state\u2019s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), voted without oppositionContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"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\/81311"}],"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\/24"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=81311"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81311\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":81312,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/81311\/revisions\/81312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=81311"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=81311"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=81311"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}