Last week, New York State Assembly announced the passage of a measure authorizing adult use marijuana temporary and conditional licenses for cultivation and processing.
Officials said Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Dist. 83) and Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes (D-Dist. 141) indicated the action
begins the establishment of the adult use cannabis market.
“These temporary licenses are the next step in getting our state’s market up and running,” Heastie said. “Allowing already licensed hemp growers to obtain temporary conditional licenses will not only get New York on track, but it will require they help others – especially MWBEs (minority- and women-owned businesses) and others who are frequently left behind in this industry – get a foot in the door and be successful.”
The legislation requires cultivator and processor licensees to participate in a social equity mentorship program, in addition to an environmental sustainability program, as a means of aiding future cultivators and processors interested in gaining experience and knowledge.
“Last year, after many years of fighting, we finally enacted the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) and are beginning to undo the devastating impacts over 90 years of unequal enforcement of marijuana prohibition had on too many lives and communities,” Peoples-Stokes said. “The MRTA ensures that the legal adult-use market will be centered on equity and economic justice for communities of color and individuals that have been harmed most by the War on Drugs in the State of New York. With the passage of this bill, we have the opportunity to create a responsible start to the adult-use cannabis industry by authorizing temporary conditional cultivator and processor licenses to current New York hemp farmers. This authority will help secure enough safe, regulated, and environmentally conscious cannabis products to meet the demand of the adult-use cannabis market when retail dispensaries open.”