The lawmakers, advocates and cannabis industry operators who worked for years to get the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act over the finish line indeed deserve a moment to revel in their success.
Though it is now legal for New Yorkers to possess up to three ounces of recreational cannabis or 24 grams of concentrated forms of the drug, such as oils, it is not yet legal to buy or sell it except for medical use.
Between the regulatory challenges and the seed-to-sale timeline, it’s unlikely that New Yorkers will be able to purchase adult-use products in retail establishments, try out different strains at a cannabis lounge, or even grow their own plants at home until late 2022.
These changes, which include allowing the sale of whole flower and allowing medical professionals more leeway when it comes to prescriptions, can be approved under the existing regulatory framework for medical cannabis now overseen by the state Health Department.
In Florida, where whole flower was available to medical cannabis patients just days after lawmakers lifted a ban on its sale in 2019, more than 22,000 pounds was sold in just six months.
New York does not have to re-invent the wheel when it comes to regulating cannabis flower, as a ground version of the plant is already legal under the existing medical program.
Liz Kruger and Assembly Majority Leader Crystal People-Stokes, the bill’s prime sponsors, were tireless in their pursuit of delivering a safe, remunerative, and equitable adult-use program.
We will get there, but it will take time.