Regulatory delays mean that individuals who wish to grow their own pot outdoors in New York, including those who use it for authorized medicinal purposes, could be jeopardized for a second growing season.
Regulators granted 52 initial cultivation licenses at a Cannabis Control Board meeting on Thursday, allowing recipients — all hemp farmers — to grow a limited amount of cannabis that will provide product for the state’s first legal, non-medical sales.
But the rules that will eventually allow every medical cannabis prescription holder to grow up to six plants at home are still pending: at Thursday’s meeting, officials said recent changes to the draft regulations clarify that patients can grow plants outdoors on their property, among other updates.
The continued delays mean that individuals who wish to legally grow their own pot supplies outdoors, including those who use it for medicinal purposes, could be jeopardized for a second growing season.
“To be clear, home cultivation of medical cannabis is not yet permitted, and will not be permitted until the comments …
“I think almost every New Yorker I’ve talked to thinks that it’s totally legal to grow right now,” said Joel Hubert, a Capital Region resident who has taught himself a lot about the medicinal plant.
For him, the state’s medical cannabis program has been a life-changer: when his doctor first suggested combating his pain with a cannabis tincture, he slept through the night for the first time in 10 years.
The law specified that regulators should issue rules for patients who want to grow at home within six months of the bill’s passage, no later than the end of September.
Until recently, New York hemp farmers hoping to be among the first outdoor cultivators for the adult-use cannabis market were concerned their time would also slip away, causing them to miss New York’s narrow growing season this year.
Ng added they have a lot of work to do ahead of time, including buying seeds and making infrastructure improvements.
Her previous coverage spanned New York, but she also reported from Colombia, Mexico and Canada for outlets including Reuters, France 24 and the OCCRP.