New York Gov. Kathy Hochul: Legal Cannabis Industry Will Generate 'Thousands Of jobs And New Industries'

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) highlighted the potential of the cannabis industry to create thousands of job opportunities and industries after having cleared a key regulatory hurdle last week when she named the final two members of the state's five-member Cannabis Control Board (CCB).  

“We do want to go big or go home, and I want to help you get there. I need you to survive because you’re the identity of New York that people create jobs and opportunities. You are who we are as New Yorkers. Your success means the success of this entire state,” the governor said on Friday at the Business Council of New York State’s annual meeting, reported Marijuana Moment. 

“So count me in as an ally—someone who’s going to be there for you, who will fight for you to make sure that we do not lose out to any competition, whether it’s in the space of cannabis, where I believe there’s thousands and thousands of jobs and new industries, to be created that were not even focused on," Hochul continued.

New York State’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased from 7.6% in July to 7.4% in August 2021, according to a Sept. 21 Labor Dept. press release.

Moving Forward On NY's Stalled Cannabis Program
"New York's cannabis industry has stalled for far too long – I am making important appointments to set the Office of Cannabis Management up for success so they can hit the ground running," Hochul said after appointing the final two members to the CCB. 
“I had to unleash this opportunity that had been stifled for the first five months [after legalization was signed into law] because a few appointments hadn’t been made. Got that done.” 

Under New York’s legalization law, the independent Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) within the New York State Liquor Authority was established and will be responsible for regulating the recreational cannabis market as well as the existing medical marijuana and hemp programs. The OCM, in turn, will be overseen by the Cannabis Control Board.