Cannabis supporters have been trying to inform the public about the health advantages of cannabis for years, if not decades. Additionally, cannabis activists like Melany Dobson, co-founder of Hudson Cannabis, stated that public education is still important and should remain the main priority even when New York legalized it in 2021.
According to her, the ability to grow cannabis is highly stigmatized in our nation. [It] necessitates reworking the story and extensive instruction.
In the state, more than 200 retail dispensaries currently hold operating licenses. However, as more farms and shops arise, so do establishments without a permit or license. These businesses are referred to as “ghost dispensaries.”
OCM confiscated the crop at Spier Falls Road Cannabis Farm just a few weeks ago, according to Town of Moreau officials, since the proprietors reportedly lacked a license.
The Cannabis Enforcement Task Force reported that 230 ghost dispensaries had been closed throughout the state during the summer. However, licenses and permissions are still being granted over time.even close to other cannabis shops.
“I can see why many retailers are beginning to worry about the possibility of operating within a saturated market,” said Damien Cornwell, Board Member Operator of the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY).
“I believe that the details are crucial once more,” he remarked. The thousand-foot rule would have less of an effect if you were on a city block with a large population than if you were in an upstate New York city with 43,000 residents.
Advocates claim that some equity license owners have sold their licenses to others as a result of the sluggish license rollout because they experienced financial difficulties when attempting to launch their company.
Once more, Cornwell stated that all of these minor factors can lead to a system that isn’t functioning as well as we would like it to. And a lot of that just has to do with structure—the state’s ability to work together and an industry’s infrastructure to enable people to overcome the obstacles they encounter on a daily basis.
After being contacted by News Channel 13 on the problem, OCM released the following statement:
Although the number of dispensary licenses is unlimited, distance rules mandate that the majority of upstate sellers be at least 2,000 feet away, which naturally creates space between authorized dispensaries.
The number of eligible retail sites is further restricted by minimum distance requirements from public youth facilities, houses of worship, and schools. It should be noted that dispensary locations are also heavily influenced by municipal zoning regulations.
According to OCM officials, $653.9 million in tax money was earned in New York last year and was reinvested in the community.
Twenty percent goes back into public drug treatment and addiction prevention programs for adults and children, forty percent goes back into education programs throughout the state, and forty percent goes back into the community grants reinvestment fund.
Despite the advantages, a lot of business owners still want to expand as additional dispensaries join the market.
In the series’ last segment, News Channel 13 will discuss how proponents hope to refocus the industry on health and how the existing system might be impeding the development of psychedelic treatment.