New York State Senate To Hold Public Hearing In Hopes to Speed Cannabis Roll-Out

It seems so long ago, but has there been any progress? On March 30, 2021, both houses of the New York State Legislature finally approved legislation to legalize recreational marijuana. The bill was later signed into law by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo one day later.

However, many farmers and would-be marijuana dispensary owners are still waiting two and a half years later.

The official roll-out process has been an uphill battle. As of September 2023, only 23 recreational weed shops are officially open across the state of New York, according to the Office of Cannabis Management. Twenty-three legal shops, that is.

See Also: Several New Cannabis Dispensaries Open Across New York State

Any further openings have been put on hold after a lawsuit was filed against the OCM by four veterans, who allege "that the licensing process for cannabis dispensary licenses is discriminatory and leaves out service veterans.", according to WROC.

But now the New York Senate hopes to change all this, making it easier to for potential shop owners to sell their product to the public.

New York Senate Cannabis Committee to Hold Open Forum 

WROC reports that the New York State Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis announced it will be holding its first hearing "on the rollout of adult-use cannabis and retail challenges." The hearing will take place October 30 in Albany at 11 AM, and is open to the public.

State Senator Jeremy Cooney said he hopes the public hearing will help clarify what has been done so far, and hopefully how to help speed up the rool-out process going forward.

What Towns and Areas in the Hudson Valley Opted In?

Of course, there still aren't any legal weed shops (beyond medical) open in the Hudson Valley as of yet. The wait continues as of now, though hopefully it won't be long.