It has been more than a year now since Gov. Cuomo signed the bill ending cannabis prohibition and making New York the 16th state to legalize recreational use of cannabis for adults. Under the new legislation, adults over 21 can possess up to three ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrate. While adults in NY everywhere from Albany to Buffalo can now both possess and publicly consume cannabis, and even gift it to other adults (as long as it’s a gift with no compensation involved), the New York cannabis laws still state that the retail sale of marijuana is prohibited.
New York’s Cannabis Control Board has been fully appointed and had its first meeting Oct. 5, 2021. The Board is primarily responsible for developing the regulations regarding the sale, transportation and delivery of cannabis within the Empire State. The Cannabis Control Board (or CCB) granted the first cultivation licenses, 52 in total, in April 2022 and recently approved a second batch of 36 more adult-use cannabis cultivation licenses to farms throughout NY state, as they prepare for the launch of retail sales by the end of 2022. This will allow existing hemp farms to get a head start on expanding their crops to include marijuana to meet demand for the forthcoming industry.