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New York Cannabis in 2020: Will the state legalize?

New York Cannabis in 2020: Will the state legalize?

New York cannabis legalization could be bigger than California. But it all depends if the state Governor’s promise holds true.

New York tried and failed to legalize cannabis in 2019 even with broad support for legalization in the state. But now Governor Andrew Cuomo is promising 2020 will be the year it finally happens.

New York cannabis legalization would change the entire cannabis industry landscape, with such a huge population there’s no doubt a legal industry would succeed. But it all depends on the laws that pass, regulations and restrictions that the state puts on the new market that could damage it before it takes off.

New York Cannabis History

New York has always had a patchy relationship with cannabis and crime in general. The state received national backlash when the police department’s Stop-and-Frisk program was revealed to target minority communities, with most busts being for small amounts of cannabis possession, typically an eighth or less. Despite the state decriminalizing small amounts of cannabis possession in 1977, a loophole in the law allowed police to still unfairly arrest people.

In 2013, the Stop-and-Frisk law was found unconstitutional and was ended. Ever since then, the underground cannabis culture and industry has been slowly building in New York. Similarly to D.C. which legalized cannabis in 2017 but banned any dispensaries from opening, the decriminalization of cannabis in New York has led to rise in discreet delivery service, corner shops and other services for New Yorkers to get their cannabis with ease.

Not to mention that New York already has a medical cannabis program that could easily expand into a recreational market. In other words, the state is ripe for a legal market to explode.

Will 2020 Be The Year?

In early January of 2020, Governor Cuomo highlighted adult-use cannabis legalization as one of his 2020 priorities. His proposal includes forming an Office of Cannabis Management to regulate medical, adult-use and hemp programs; ensuring that social equity and social justice needs are met; working in concert with neighboring states; and creating a cannabis and hemp research center at the State University of New York.

New York is already a very expensive state, especially for those living in the city. It’s possible New York follows in the foot steps of California or Illinois and puts exorbitant taxes on cannabis goods while also allowing local municipalities to add their own taxes on top. If this happens, a legal industry could be extremely hindered (just look at California’s first year of legal cannabis).

The light at the end of the tunnel

One of the main reasons New York has put so much urgency into legalization is because of the so-called “vape epidemic” that struck the country in 2019. In case you missed it, hundreds of people became very sick from using private market vape cartridges that contained dangerous chemicals not typically found in legal products. The epidemic winded down at the end of 2019, but not until close to 50 people died from the illness.

While some states took the opportunity to use this epidemic as an excuse not to legalize, New York recognized that legalizing would open up a safe-access market for consumers that could prevent another epidemic. The Governor has already been meeting with fellow governors from Pennsylvania and Connecticut to discuss ideas as all three states move closer to legalization in 2020.

Cuomo said he wanted to legalize in 2019, and even with strong public support, wasn’t able to get it done. 2020 might just be another broken promise to try and stay in office, or a legal New York cannabis market could come and change the whole industry in a span of 12 months. We all have to stay tuned to see.

Is New York Next to Legalize Cannabis?

Is New York Next to Legalize Cannabis?

New support from New York’s Farm Bureau could be the final push the state needs to legalize cannabis. But will it be enough?

The New York Farm Bureau issued a memo Monday backing a bill that would legalize, tax and regulate marijuana in New York, which lawmakers are considering before they end their annual session June 19. And farmers have a lot to gain if this bill passes and New York decides to legalize cannabis.

This bill specifically includes measures meant to ensure struggling farmers in New York’s poorer counties get a chance to break in to the marijuana and hemp industries. While the farming industry in New York isn’t in any risk of shutting down any time soon, getting preferential treatment should the state legalize cannabis would mean big money for the industry.

What’s in the New York Bill to Legalize Cannabis

The bill, should it pass, would create a new Office of Cannabis Management to oversee the recreational and medicinal marijuana industries, as well as the hemp industry.

Only those above the age of 21 would be able to legally purchase marijuana, and local governments would have the ability to hold a public referendum to block legal sales within their borders. This has happened in states like Massachusetts, where local governments kept cannabis illegal despite the state’s decision to legalize cannabis for adult us.

The bill overall is relatively standard for states that legalized in the past. Adult use, cultivation and sale will be permitted, but until the bill passes, there won’t be an Office of Cannabis Management to begin working on the details.

Farmers Might Not Be Enough

While the Farmers Bureau represents over a thousand farms in New York state, the only votes that matter in this case are those of the Democrats in New York. 30 Democrats have gotten on board with the bill, but 32 are needed to pass without any Republican support.

However the Democrats are confident that the bill will at least have enough votes to pass the lower chamber, and Governor Cuomo of New York has pledged to sign the bill if it gets to his desk.

New York has the third largest population of any state in the country, an a legal cannabis market would bring in massive amounts of revenue to the state. While California has had a slew of problems since they legalized cannabis due to the surplus of private market growers and illegal dispensaries, New York wouldn’t have the same problem.

If done right, New York could potentially become the new cannabis hub of the world. But that is a big IF.

Should New York legalize, there’s going to be a bunch more farmers planting clones outside for the very first time. Luckily The Real Dirt has that covered.