If you’re a New Yorker or a person who has visited New York recently, you’ve probably seen or heard of stores selling a product or service to consumers and providing cannabis as a “gift” in return.
After former Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the MRTA into law last year, adults 21 and older were immediately permitted to possess and use cannabis, as well as gift cannabis to other adults as long as they were not receiving compensation.
“New York State is building a legal, regulated cannabis market that will ensure products are tested and safe for consumers while providing opportunities for those from communities most impacted by the over criminalization of the cannabis prohibition, and illegal operations undermine our ability to do that.
While regulating the sale of cannabis to ensure that consumers are receiving a product that is safe to consume is certainly reason enough to crackdown on illegal sales, there is another critical reason for strict enforcement – the fact that cannabis continues to remain illegal under federal law.
In order to adequately regulate the cannabis market and meet the goals of the MRTA to build an inclusive, equitable, and safe industry, it is critical that the OCM create proper pathways for legacy operators and local entrepreneurs to access the legal market without being left behind.
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