Can New York’s new governor get recreational cannabis back on track in the Big Apple?

After being stuck in limbo, New York’s cannabis industry is set to be restarted by new governor, Kathy Hochul.

Cuomo’s exit

Andrew Cuomo, the 56th Executive Governor of New York, has been forced to resign after countless allegations ranging from sexual harassment to sexual assault.

The former governor also had problems with the Senate. In the midst of this chaos, Cuomo signed the cannabis law in March. There was much speculation at the time that the governor signed the law to stave off his many allegations. It worked for a while before it stopped working.

More and more women came out to share their unfortunate experiences with the governor, all of which he emphatically denied. All of this and more distracted Cuomo’s attention from his managerial duties. All Democratic members of the state and President Biden called for the governor’s impeachment. Cuomo, however, took the easy route and stepped back in shame.

He still claimed that he had not assaulted or injured any woman during his tenure and apologized to his three daughters. His departure earned his lieutenant an automatic promotion to governor. Kathy Huchol was sworn in immediately after Cuomo’s resignation took effect, becoming the first female governor of New York State.

The state of the industry

Governor Cuomo signed the law to legalize the sale of recreational grass in New York only to stop the industry’s progress by refusing to create the council’s board of directors.

The governor has been criticized for refusing to start the state’s cannabis program.

The governor left the pot program on autopilot with no proper items needed. Cuomo was expected to select some officials for the Cannabis Control Board. The names of the nominated Executive Director and two other officers should have been submitted to the Senate for review and approval. The state parliament and the senate also each had a seat on the board.

Until his resignation took effect, Cuomo’s team did not submit a nomination to the State Senate.

Senator Diane Savino described the governor’s buzzkill as a stalemate for the industry. Without Cuomo’s nominations, nothing could happen to activate the industry. Licenses could not be issued to pharmacies and other interested parties as there were no regulatory authorities in the industry.

Cuomo’s inaction in setting up the five-person board meant the legal industry had no ground rules to follow.

Because of this, the black market had all the reins in hand.

Kathy Hochul’s plan

Governor Kathy appears ready to take action. She vowed to hasten any point delayed by the former governor.

Although the governor did not mention cannabis in her first address as governor, the cannabis industry could get the boost it needs soon enough.

Governor Hochul has announced that she will announce the names of the appointees for the cannabis control committee.

The governor’s team has announced that Gov Hochul considers making New York’s cannabis industry a priority. In the coming weeks Hochul would nominate three personalities with specialist knowledge and experience for the five-person board. The nominees would be representatives of the various municipalities in the state.

Jordan Bennett, the governor’s spokesman, said the positions to be filled are very critical to the future of the cannabis industry. Jordan added that the new governor is ready to make the selection process go smoothly while working hand-in-hand with lawmakers.

Congregation Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins ​​announced that Governor Hochul has begun appointments to the Cannabis Control Committee. Spokesman Heastie said the new governor agreed during a closed meeting earlier last month that the legal cannabis industry was a priority and that the state government must focus on moving the process forward as quickly as possible.

This means that…

The official system of regulations that would guide the sale of legal marijuana retail in New York will be rolled out in the next few months – as long as Hochul keeps her word.

Once the state legislature approves the governor’s nominees, the chosen individuals can get to work ironing out the established rules and regulations of the very large industry. The executive director and chairman of the newly created cannabis management bureau will be responsible for the state’s cannabis distribution and sales program.

Proponents of the approved cannabis law, Senator Liz Krueger, and Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, are thrilled that the new governor has decided to move the issue forward.

A few days before Hochul was sworn in as governor, the sponsors spoke to her and encouraged her to “undo the five-month delay” caused by Cuomo.

Hochul’s quick action will be a win-win situation

The new governor will also gain a lot if her government can push the industry through.

The action will please state lawmakers, especially the Liberal Democrats, who it must have on their side for a no-preselection path for the next general election in 2022.

The new governor plans to run for a full term and voters would also appreciate it if she accelerated the process.

However, according to reports, marijuana sales will still take at least 18 months, even if Hochul can speed up the process. This is due to the multi-step process that must be completed to approve regulations implementing the law. When this is done, breeders and sellers can obtain licenses to sell.

Bottom line

Cuomo’s foot-dragging has increased the estimated time it will take for recreational cannabis to be sold over the counter.

Who would have thought that all it took to start over was for Cuomo to leave the mansion?

Hopefully the new government will make it before the state elections in November 2022.

Until then, new workers may still have to cross the border to buy legal marijuana products from retail stores in neighboring states.

Hochul joins a list of nine female governors who currently run the country’s states. Most of these female governors have also made cannabis reforms a priority.

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