On Wednesday, Sept.
Even with two reputable leaders at the helm, the future of New York’s adult-use industry — whether it serves as a fresh start or continues to stigmatize the cannabis plant and those who grow, process, sell, and consume it — is still at stake.
We must continue to appoint leaders to OCM who will use their position to uphold the intent of the MRTA and deliver New Yorkers the industry we fought for.
Every day without this framework in place prolongs the cycle of trauma and criminalization, exposing legacy market operators to law enforcement and denying New Yorkers access to the effective and affordable medicine and harm reduction resources they need.
New Yorkers demand leaders committed to the vision for New York’s cannabis industry outlined in the law — leaders who will place the interests of women and minority applicants, small businesses, financially distressed farmers, and communities harmed by prohibition at the forefront and make the training, education, and provision of resources to these groups a priority.
We require leaders with vision, who will understand the harms large-scale indoor cultivation will inflict on our climate, natural and built-environments and make environmentally regenerative and sustainable practices the industry standard on Day One; leaders who understand how to transition New York’s existing multi-billion-dollar legacy market into a legal framework and establish realistic pathways for legacy operators and equity applicants to enter the new industry.
New York is not without qualified candidates and the Hochul administration should work with those who fought tirelessly to get the MRTA passed to identify the right people to lead the industry forward.
We are counting on her to continue championing this moment with the urgency and transparency it warrants and we too, as stakeholders in the design of the New York cannabis market, will continue to advocate for smart, forward-thinking candidates to lead the Office of Cannabis Management.
Tosin Ajayi co-owns the CBD company Holistic Remedies, LLC, and is an alumnus of NYU Wagner where she founded NYU CannaPolicy and specialized in nonprofit management.
My background includes the areas of writing, editing, and education, and I received Bachelor and Master of Arts Degrees from the University of British Columbia and California State University, East Bay, respectively.