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Cannabis growing facility proposed for former New York prison

Cannabis growing facility proposed for former New York prison

A New York prison that closed in 2011 may be repurposed for cannabis and hemp production.

When Mid-Hudson Correctional Facility closed in 2011, it freed up 740 acres of prime property that its host community, Warwick, readily bought for $3.1 million.

During the past decade, the town has actively worked to repurpose the property and has seen positive results from its efforts. With Covid-19 fading and the state reopening, business is again percolating on the former prison property, now known as Wickham Woodlands.

Along with a new Warwick Valley Office and Technology Corporate Park on the campus, where the town’s business accelerator is working with three-startup companies, business is growing along its winding State School Road: a former administration building has become the trendy Drowned Lands Brewery; the prison’s old guard tower is now the gateway to Hudson Sports Complex; and the land surrounding Wickham Lake, which inmates could view from behind barbed wire fencing, has been turned into a town park.

The Warwick Valley’s fertile landscape also offers ample opportunities for those who grow hemp and its soon-to-be-street legal counterpart, marijuana, and is seeing that business beginning to boom within Wickham Woods’ borders.

When the United States eased federal regulations on growing hemp in 2018, the floodgates of products produced from hemp’s byproduct, cannabidiol — better known to the public as CBD — started hitting the shelves.

Medical marijuana has been legal since 2016, and the state also relaxed its regulations for CBD-infused food and beverages. In April, 2021, the New York state Legislature approved the legalization of recreational marijuana, which has opened a whole new revenue stream for cultivators.

Those measures have propelled Wickham Woods into the spotlight for those with a vested interest in both legal hemp/cannabis cultivation and CBD production.

Chicago-based Fiorello Pharmaceuticals/Green Thumb Industries is poised to build a 100,000-square-foot cannabis growing and processing facility on 40 acres in the technology park.

The company received approval in May from the Orange County Industrial Development Agency for subsidies that include a sales and tax use exemption, mortgage recording tax exemption and a 15-year payment in lieu of taxes, as well as approval for the issuance of taxable revenue bonds.

New York man smokes pot in front of two NYPD police officers in celebration of legal marijuana

New York man smokes pot in front of two NYPD police officers in celebration of legal marijuana

In The Big Apple, a man celebrated legal weed by smoking marijuana in front of two NYPD officers — all caught on camera.

“Happy quarantine!” the man greets the cops as he inhales and exhales.

New York adults over the age of 21 can now possess and use marijuana — even in public — under a legalization bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, though legal sales of recreational-use cannabis won’t start for an estimated 18 months until regulations are set.

Passed after several years of stalled efforts, the measure makes New York the 16th state in the nation to legalize adult use of the drug.

New York becomes the second-most populous state after California to legalize recreational marijuana.

Legalization backers hope the Empire State will add momentum and set an example with its efforts to redress the inequities of a system that has locked up people of color for marijuana offenses at disproportionate rates.

 

The legislation provides protections for cannabis users in the workplace, housing, family court, schools, colleges and universities, and sets a target of providing half of marijuana licenses to individuals from underrepresented communities. And police could no longer use the odor of cannabis as a reason for searching someone’s car for contraband.

New York will start automatically expunging some past marijuana-related convictions, and people won’t be arrested or prosecuted for possession of pot up to 3 ounces. A 2019 law already expunged many past convictions and reduced the penalty for possessing small amounts.

In a unique provision, New Yorkers 21 and over can now smoke cannabis in public, including on sidewalks.

What Would New York Cannabis Legalization Look Like?

What Would New York Cannabis Legalization Look Like?

New York cannabis legalization is being voted on today

The vote on New York cannabis legalization could happen today. What does that mean for the industry, and the country?

After reaching a landmark deal that aims to integrate a recreational cannabis industry into New York’s current medical cannabis program, the state legislature could be voting as soon as today on whether or not New York cannabis legalization will pass. The bill’s passing would be a massive decision with even bigger ramifications for the legal cannabis industry at large.

But how would a cannabis industry in New York theoretically look? One thing is for sure; the industry would be huge.

What’s in the bill

The bill potentially on its way to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s desk would allow adults in the state to buy cannabis in retail stores, and also sample it in tasting rooms similar to wine tasting venues. They would also be able to grow a limited number of marijuana plants at home – six per person and up to 12 per household.

If passed, the New York cannabis legalization law would not go into effect until late 2022, which means businesses like dispensaries may not open until after that period.

Fifty percent of the licenses to grow and sell marijuana would be set aside for what’s known as equity businesses, which includes people from disproportionately impacted communities and small farmers. They would have access to loans, grants, and incubator programs.

The funds for this program will come from a 13 percent sales tax to be charged on the sale of marijuana. State revenues could reach $350 million dollars a year and the money would be split between the community reinvestment fund, public education, and efforts to combat drug addiction.

The legislation further decriminalizes possession of marijuana, eliminating penalties for having 3 ounces or less of cannabis, or storing up to 5 pounds at home. It also would expunge the records for people with previous convictions for amounts that are no longer criminalized.

How it could impact the industry

If New York cannabis legalization passes, the state would become the 15th state to legalize cannabis, and the second largest to legalize behind California. Ranking barely third behind Texas in state GDP, the economy of New York is already massive, which would all but guarantee an equally massive legal cannabis industry.

Similar to California, New York also has a thriving illicit market already in operation in the state. Cannabis delivery services are very popular in New York City where anyone can ride their bike across the city to deliver cannabis products. While few other states allow cannabis delivery in their recreational cannabis programs, New York cannabis legalization would likely allow for delivery services to continue, if not thrive under new legal regulation.

California sold the most cannabis in 2020 at $4.4 Billion worth. However in combination with its relatively small medical cannabis industry which generated around $50 million in 2020, a New York legal cannabis industry would generate over $1 Billion by 2024. That would put New York in the top five cannabis markets in just two years of operation.

To say that New York cannabis legalization would make the state a major player with influence on the direction of the industry would be an understatement.

How it could impact the country

California alone generated over twice as much sales revenue in 2020 than all of Canada where cannabis is federally legal. With the addition of a massive industry after New York cannabis legalization, that number could easily double again, making the United States a legal cannabis behemoth despite federal law.

The massive profits will likely draw the attention of more politicians who will see the potential benefits of legalizing in their own states, or even federally. In states where cannabis is legal, opinions on legalization generally improve over time after those against it see the benefits it brings. In a massive state like New York, a sway in public opinion on legalization could create waves that reach across the east coast and even the country.

Nearly 70% of Americans already support federal cannabis legalization, with 90% supporting federally legal medical cannabis. With New York’s population the number will rise making it nearly impossible for legislators on the federal level to keep ignoring. Of course when it comes to politics, nothing is a guarantee.

A whole new world awaits

The reality is that if New York cannabis legalization passes, the entire industry is likely to change. Entrepreneurs and corporate cannabis entities will flock to New York to capitalize on the new, fresh industry. And with such a massive economy, there will be no shortage of opportunity.

A legal cannabis industry in New York is likely to jump start movement across the east coast, with Pennsylvania and Maryland likely to follow should the industry show promise. Florida has already surpassed $1 Billion in sales with medical marijuana alone, and a full recreational industry would likely explode there as well.

The dominoes of cannabis legalization have been slowly falling state after state, and New York is one BIG domino that could change everything. But just like California, New York could also fall short.

Despite its massive revenue generation and thriving cannabis industry, California has suffered immensely due to its changing regulations with lack of communication or leniency, exorbitant licensing and square footage fees that punish small farmers, and a thriving illicit market that the state can’t quash.

New York must tread lightly or risk facing a similar fate to their west coast cousin, which could have an inverse effect on the future of cannabis legalization across the country. Only the future will tell.

NY Legislators Reach Deal to Fast Track Legalization

NY Legislators Reach Deal to Fast Track Legalization

New York cannabis legalization is on the fast track to being signed into law

New York is ready to legalize recreational marijuana.

The state would impose special pot taxes and prepare to license dispensaries under an agreement reached by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and legislative leaders.

“It is my understanding that the three-way agreement has been reached and that bill drafting is in the process of finishing a bill that we all have said we support,” state Senate Finance Committee Chair Liz Krueger told Bloomberg Government on Wednesday.

 
 

The deal that legislative leaders brokered with Cuomo (D) would legalize cannabis use for adults 21 years old and up, and includes a 13% sales tax, 9% of which would go to the state and 4% to the localities, Krueger said. Distributors additionally would collect an excise tax of as much as 3 cents per milligram of THC, the active ingredient in cannabis, with a sliding scale based on the type of product and its potency.

No changes would be made to the taxes already imposed on marijuana sold for medical purposes, Krueger said.

The governor’s office estimates that a legal cannabis program could pull in about $350 million a year once fully implemented.

Sales could begin as soon as one year after enactment, said Krueger, who sponsored legislation (A.1248/S.854) with Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D) that was a starting point for the negotiations.

With New Jersey legalizing marijuana earlier this year, “we are literally surrounded geographically by other states that are doing it. We just need to stay ahead of the times,” Peoples-Stokes said in an interview. “Because we’re New Yorkers, we can walk and chew gum at the same time. We can speed this up.”

Cuomo earlier Wednesday said an agreement was close, and that it’s one of his budget priorities. Krueger said she expects lawmakers to vote on stand-alone legislation as soon as next week.

Legislative leaders want to separate the marijuana and budget debates, a strategy that gives them the upper hand on determining pot policy.

Neighborhood Programs

The proposed recreational marijuana tax structure is similar to the one levied on alcohol, Krueger said.

Tax revenue would first go to covering cannabis-related expenses at state agencies overseeing the regulation of cannabis, with the rest divided among programs to help people rebuild their lives after marijuana possession arrests; to help neighborhoods; education; and drug treatment.

“We understand the ramifications of decades of incarceration of a people that actually ends up costing us, as a government, money,” Peoples-Stokes said. “This community reinvestment could reverse that whole dynamic. We could reinvest in people’s lives.”

Putting those programs into the legalization law will mean that Cuomo wouldn’t be able to count on that burst of new revenue to close a $2.5 billion budget hole anticipated in the next fiscal year.

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New York Legal Cannabis on Verge of Passing

New York Legal Cannabis on Verge of Passing

new york legal cannabis could be legal soon

The Legislature is on the precipice of passing a measure legalizing adult-use recreational marijuana in the Empire State, New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins said Tuesday.

Lawmakers are likely to reach a cannabis consensus and act on a stand-alone bill as soon they address lingering concerns about traffic stops and safety, Stewart-Cousins acknowledged.

We are extremely close. We have reached a little bit of an impasse right now and it has to do with impaired driving,” the Yonkers Democrat said during a video news conference. “We’re trying to figure a way forward so there can be some understanding of safety.”

At issue is whether to continue to treat driving while impaired by marijuana as a misdemeanor or a traffic infraction.

Earlier in the day, Sandra Doorley, Monroe County District Attorney and president of the state’s district attorneys association, outlined some of the qualms coming from law enforcement.

“The classification of driving under the influence of cannabis as a traffic infraction would send the message to the driving public that driving while impaired is no big deal and will be treated the same as a speeding ticket,” Doorley said. “Further, driving while impaired by marijuana obviously endangers all of our residents and visitors.”

Democrats in both the Senate and Assembly dropped marijuana from their budget proposals this week, an indication that lawmakers are nearing a deal on long-stalled efforts to allow New Yorkers to legally spark up.

Past attempts to approve pot have repeatedly gone up in smoke due to discrepancies over revenue, local opt-ins and expungement of past pot arrests. While Gov. Cuomo has included legal marijuana in his own budget proposals the past two years, he and lawmakers have failed to see eye to eye on equity and the allocation of revenue.

Lawmakers have sought to spend a lion’s share of the tax revenue on minority communities where the state’s drug laws have been disproportionately enforced, while Cuomo has sought greater state control of the funds.