Marijuana decriminalization is in, adult-use is out, a regulated hemp-derived CBD marketplace is in limbo, and NYC begins CBD-ban. For New York’s cannabis industry, 2019 began with a bang and ended with a whimper. In January, Governor Cuomo announced that legalizing marijuana and creating a regulated adult-use marketplace was a top legislative priority. Indeed, Governor […]
New York
New York marijuana: What to know about black-market forces threatening recreational pot
Law enforcement agencies have detailed a variety of ways the marijuana black market circumvents rules and laws that will hurt New York’s efforts to control the legalized distribution of the drug. New York’s recreational marijuana battle sits on the front line of a generational war over American cannabis laws. As debate heats up, USA TODAY […]
Medical marijuana maker: Legalizing recreational use of marijuana in NY is a balancing act
Any day, week or month now, the state Department of Health will tell New Yorkers why it’s recommending marijuana be legal for recreational use. In mid-June, Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said the pros of marijuana outweigh the cons,said his department would release its report on the subject “soon.” A health department spokeswoman this week […]
Could New York Be the Next State to Legalize Marijuana?
The New York Police Department regularly faces criticism over the disproportionate number of Black and brown people who are arrested for marijuana possession. The department’s constant refrain has been that officers go where they are called. They respond to complaints to the city’s 311 assistance line or calls to 911. Arrests, they say, flow naturally […]
New York Medical Marijuana Industry Struggling To See Profits
Andy Williams projects 2016 will be another good year for his marijuana business. The Medicine Man CEO estimates the company is valued at about $30 million, with some $18 million in revenue projected for 2016. So goes business for a successful marijuana company in Colorado, where recreational and medicinal uses of the drug are legal. […]
How One Doctor Is Coping With New York’s Muddled Medical Marijuana Restrictions
Cannabis consultations have become a new source of revenue this year for Dr. Dara Huang, who also treats kidney problems and practices “culinary medicine” from her office in Manhattan. But it takes a lot of legwork to deal with the challenges of participating in the state’s medical-marijuana program, both for her and her patients. “I’ve […]
Advocates Pushing to Expand New York’s Medical Marijuana Program
ALBANY — Advocates for expanding the New York’s medical-marijuana program said Wednesday they will push for a package of reforms to be approved by the state legislature before the legislative session ends next week. The state’s medical-marijuana program, which started Jan. 1, allows patients with serious illnesses to get the drug in non-smokeable forms. But […]
Despite Promises to the Contrary, NYPD Is Cracking Down on Marijuana Possession
Arrests for pot possession rose more than a third in the first three months of this year, according to a report released Wednesday — even though the NYPD had promised in 2014 it was going to ease up on marijuana collars. The NYPD nabbed 4,225 people for pot possession between January and March, according to […]
New York’s Licensed Medical Marijuana Growers Lobbying for Expansion of Patient Base
The five companies awarded licenses to grow and sell medical marijuana in New York have joined forces to lobby lawmakers for changes to the state’s Compassionate Care Act. “We’re going around giving an update to the program [and] sharing some of our impressions and talking about ways that we think the program can be improved,” […]
New York Legislature Pushing to Expand Medical Marijuana Program
The New York Assembly health committee advanced two pieces of legislation Monday that would expand the state’s medical marijuana program. The bills, sponsored by Assemblyman Dick Gottfried, who chairs the chamber’s health committee and is one of the architects of the state’s so-called Compassionate Care Act, would eliminate the requirement that the registered organizations charged […]
New York Estimates That Half of Eligible Patients Received Medical Marijuana
ALBANY — Nearly three months into the launch of the state’s medical marijuana program, the Cuomo administration estimates that roughly half of the patients deemed eligible have received the drug, a Department of Health spokesman told POLITICO New York. The so-called Compassionate Care Act kicked off in early January with several dispensaries not opening in […]
New Yorker’s Find That Medical Cannabis Is Too Expensive For Many
New York’s medical marijuana law went into effect in January, but many patients said they still don’t have access to the medicine. Many patients said they can’t afford the medicine. The market dictates the price, which is only disclosed between the company and the New York State Department of Health. In addition, if a patient […]
Legislature Looks to Expand New York’s Fledgling Medical Marijuana Program
Medical marijuana producers would be allowed to market their medicines directly to doctors, the way Big Pharma companies do, under one of the proposals lawmakers are expected to introduce soon to expand the new state program. Sen. Diane Savino, D-Staten Island, the Senate sponsor of the act that launched New York’s medical marijuana program, said […]
New York’s Governor Defends Slow Rollout of Medical Marijuana Program
ALBANY — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Thursday recognized that the state’s slow moving medical marijuana program is not “perfect,” but said he’d rather err on the side of caution than move it along too quickly. Eighteen months after signing the Compassionate Care Act into law, the state’s medical marijuana plan went into effect […]
In New York, It’s Tough Finding a Doctor to Help You With Medical Marijuana
New York doctors are signing up to recommend medical marijuana more quickly than some had anticipated. As of Jan. 28, 306 physicians had registered with the state, and they had helped 465 patients get certified for the program. But cannabis medicine remains out of reach for many who are eligible, including those with epilepsy, cancer […]
New York Universities Seek State Licenses for Experimental Industrial Hemp
Cornell University and SUNY Morrisville both plan to pursue state licenses for experimental crops of industrial hemp now that state regulations for the crop have been established. The state Department of Agriculture and Markets published final regulations governing experimental industrial hemp Wednesday. Federal law was changed in 2014 allowing states to permit hemp research, and […]
New York’s Medical Marijuana Program? “Hard … to Celebrate This as a Success”
It took eighteen months from the moment Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill that created the state’s first medical marijuana program until it finally launched on January 7. During that time there’s been plenty of hype, hand-wringing, and — at least among lawmakers trying to improve the bill — haggling. What there wasn’t much of, apparently, […]
Did New York Gov. Cuomo Set Up Medical Marijuana to Fail?
A week after New York State’s medical marijuana program officially opened January 7, it’s slowly expanding—but none of the 25 to 30 activist patients who campaigned hardest for it have been able to get any medicine. “I have not yet found any who were able to enroll,” says Julie Netherland, deputy state director of the […]
