New York City Mayor Says He Should Light His Cannabis Unconcerned About Crackdown On New York’s Illicit Market

New York cannabis lovers are all in a tizzy these days following a recent statement from the city’s mayor. Eric Adams appeared to be telling people in New York to keep glowing until the recreational market matures in the state. Hearing this, many cannabis enthusiasts in the state, as well as most cannabis advocates, already cheer. Others, however, are still quite anxious. Read on as we explore what this means for all parties in the cannabis industry in New York.

Mayor Eric Adams spoke at the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo) on Friday, where he urged everyone to “light up.” The convention lasted from June 1st to 3rd in New York City, where he spoke on many topics related to the cannabis markets in and outside of New York. Mayor Adams urged attendees to stay strong and support New York City cannabis companies in the gray phase until the New York market is fully mature. By that he was referring to the period of time cannabis entrepreneurs must wait for licensing to become available for the recreational market.

Mayor Adams was the keynote speaker at the CWCBExpo, which was also attended by other top cannabis industry figures. Top personalities include Weedmaps’ Charles Beams and Greelane Holdings’ Nick Kovaceich. Also, it’s not a cannabis fair if cannabis regulators aren’t in attendance, as Tremaine Wright of the NYS Cannabis Control Board was on hand to provide an update on the rules.

Many attendees were looking forward to the Expo after the mayor was announced as the keynote speaker following a press release last month. Attendees and various cannabis enthusiasts across the state were excited to see the mayor’s current position in the market. Many were also waiting to hear what to expect from the new recreational cannabis market set to roll out in the state. The mayor didn’t disappoint as he went straight to the point of reassuring cannabis lovers what to expect. Back then he made the popular saying “enjoy it, light up and spend some money”.

There are a number of take-home points from what Mayor Eric Adams had to say at the expo. First and foremost, the cannabis market is very important as a source of revenue for the state. Gov. Kathy Hochul’s 2023 budget spending plan shows the state will pull $1.25 billion from cannabis in six years. That means the legal medical marijuana market and the incoming recreational market are big cash cows for the state.

Another point raised by the mayor is the gray area issue of approving and implementing the leisure market in the country. Due to structures and regulations yet to be put in place by regulators, the adult retail market has not yet started in the state. And this despite the fact that laws have been passed for the market since March 2021.

The mayor assured attendees that he has no plans to take action against cannabis retailers during this transition period. This is because he believes it’s a gray area, and he also believes lawmakers can’t do the same, other than issue a warning. He was speaking about the recent law designed to empower state officials to crack down on retail establishments selling recreational cannabis during this time.

Mayor Adams is also trying to help New Yorkers apply for adult licenses after allocating $5 million to give them the boost they need. This is good news for many, given the mayor’s history as a police officer with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) many feared a crackdown. These fears were all allayed after the mayor’s disposition and his speech at the conference.

The mayor also took the opportunity to address the issue of the weed trucks that are currently dotted around the city of New York. The mayor believes that they are, that the legal way is much better and more reliable. He mentioned this while trying to emphasize that he is keen to ensure that everyone in the cannabis industry is taken care of and no one is left out.

New York will join the list of states incorporating social justice into their cannabis policies, including New Jersey, Illinois and Massachusetts. The need for justice is that legalizing recreational cannabis the right way is more important than legalizing it early. This is evident in New Jersey, where multi-owned businesses hold the most recreational licenses. This includes Black, Asian, veteran, women, or people from areas affected by the War on Drugs.

The mayor of New York is following that line as he tries to ensure social justice debts are paid off before recreational markets open. He also hopes to address the issue that different people are more likely to be arrested on minor cannabis charges compared to whites. The mayor also suggested that subpoenas can be used to address simple cannabis crimes. This strengthens his voice for an all-encompassing marketplace free from discrimination and disenfranchisement.

As we await the new era for recreational marijuana in New York City, the mayor’s recent comments come as a breath of fresh air. It comes just after a bill aimed at cracking down on cannabis retail companies during this transition period failed to vote in the Senate for a third time. This shows that many of the lawmakers share the same view as the mayor when it comes to helping the cannabis market and its users thrive. So we follow the mayor’s words and call on all cannabis users and lovers to light up.

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