New York Holds First Cannabis Board Meeting: Short & Sweet, But It's A Start

Six months after New York legalized marijuana for recreational use, the Empire State is finally getting down to the brass tacks of setting up the industry and laying down the rules for growing, processing and selling cannabis while ensuring that the social equity provisions enshrined in the law are meticulously put into effect.

The Marijuana Regulation And Taxation Act Finally Moves

In this first meeting held Tuesday of the newly completed Cannabis Control Board appointed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, regulators announced that some changes to the state’s existing medical cannabis program that were included in the recreational legalization law enacted earlier this year will take effect immediately.

Yes On Cannabis Flower For Patients, But Home Grows Will Have To Wait

Cannabis dispensaries, reported Marijuana Moment, will now be allowed to sell flower marijuana products to qualified patients, though home cultivation for patients is still banned for the time being after officials failed to meet a deadline to develop rules for this much sought-after activity. 

Former New York Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright (D), who chairs CCB, said the board is “very committed to drafting these regulations and issuing them for public comments, and expect it to be an agenda item on one of the upcoming board meetings.” 

Ethical Issues, Social Equity Officer

Members of the board, who were appointed by Hochul, also discussed ethical considerations for regulators, approved key staff hires and laid out what steps need to be taken to get the long-stalled cannabis program up and running.

While the meeting was short and sweet, the board appointed Jason Starr as chief equity officer. Starr, who worked with the New York Civil Liberties Union, was the assistant counsel to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. 

Medical Marijuana To Be Affected ASAP

The panel also announced that patients in New York's MMJ program will be able to access flower cannabis products at existing dispensaries, and the $50 registration fee for patients and caregivers is being permanently waived. 

NY's Among The Most Complete Social Equity Programs In The Country

New York's legal cannabis program, with its frustrating starts and stops, is viewed by many as being among the most thought-out in terms of setting social justice as its top priority.

The MRTA has committed to invest substantially in the communities and people that were most severely impacted by cannabis criminalization. Indeed, the law directs 40% of tax revenue into communities disproportionately affected by what many view as racially discriminatory federal and state drug policies.

The MRTA also foresees awarding at least 50% of available licenses to the most impacted individuals. It will undertake a system of automatic expungement of those individuals with non-violent cannabis convictions on their records. 

Photo by Maureen Meehan.