Advocates held a rally on Tuesday, following last week’s revelations by The City’s Rosalind Adams showing the plan to finance New York’s cannabis industry moved forward despite the major concerns of numerous people involved in the process of implementing the state’s recreational cannabis program.

The Juneteenth Eve rally included elected officials, social justice advocates, and people impacted personally by New York’s longtime war on cannabis. They hoped to protect the progressive aspects of New York’s legalization law, prevent corporate control and increase the weight of community voices moving forward.

Chief among those advocates’ concerns across the 500 emails obtained by The City got access to was the fact that the deal sucked. The things that immediately raised eyebrows included steep costs and unreasonable repayment timelines. Most importantly these concerns were raised with the Governor Kathy Hochul as her office pushed to make her previous promises on funding the cannabis program a reality. 

“The social equity component of the MRTA is absolutely essential for our communities in Brooklyn and Queens,” said Senator Julia Salazar. “MRTA implementation is a chance to address the harm that too many New Yorkers have experienced due to many years of criminalization. But the encroachment of big cannabis corporations in New York’s market poses a threat to the MRTA’s success, especially for small, legal cannabis businesses. For the good intent of the MRTA to become reality for more communities of color and justice-impacted New Yorkers, we need Governor Hochul to allow the Cannabis Control Board to function as an independent body, and for the Office of Cannabis Management to be empowered to continue to implement the MRTA equitably.”

Salazar hit the nail on the heart in terms of who should be taking the lead. The concerns from New York’s Office of Cannabis Management about the funding deal were ignored. Following the struggle for New York to provide true access statewide, the OCM was thrown under the bus for the state’s failure despite raising numerous red flags they found and raised about the Chicago Atlantic Group deal. The City noted an OCM financial analyst used all caps to note how BAD it was. 

The Drug Policy Alliance calls New York City home and has been at the forefront of the work to get New York legal over the years. Executive Director Kassandra Frederique offered a scathing critique as news first got out about Hochuls’s administration moving ahead with a predatory lender that exploited Black and Brown cannabis licencees while keeping lawmakers in the dark. 

Frederique called the Hochul administration’s mishandling of the legal marijuana rollout deeply concerning, and strikingly echoed the Governor’s congestion pricing reversal. 

“In both instances, she bypassed the Legislature’s will and rejected agency expertise to enact sweeping changes without a concrete plan,” Frederique said, “It’s now clear that her administration knew of DASNY’s failures to build retail space and ignored repeated warnings from the Office of Cannabis Management about predatory loans harming mostly Black and Brown licensees. Instead of addressing these issues, the Hochul administration agreed to unfavorable loan terms with a disreputable creditor and then scapegoated the former OCM leader for the rollout’s failures.

Frederique went on to note how devastating this was to the communities of color most decimated by disproportional enforcement of the state’s cannabis laws in their neighborhoods. 

“What Governor Hochul calls social equity has only made cannabis licensees more vulnerable to exploitation,” Frederique said, “Our communities deserve better—real equity, real opportunities, and an administration that follows the law’s intent. The Governor must present a clear plan for delivering the next phase of our justice-centered cannabis framework in accordance with the law.”

Shaleen Title has spent the last two decades pushing for an equitable cannabis industry. She is founder and director of the drug policy think tank Parabola Center, which creates model policies to protect people rather than corporate profits. She currently serves as Distinguished Cannabis Policy Practitioner in Residence at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law’s Drug Enforcement and Policy Center and as vice-chair of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition. It’s tough to find a voice that carries more weight on the regulatory side when it comes to discussing Social Equity in cannabis. 

We asked Title her thoughts on what was happening in New York. She said DPA offered a great statement on the subject already but offered some further reading.

“The governor’s narrative that the Office of Cannabis Management was “inexperienced” deserves further examination,” Title said, “The new evidence shows that the governor’s office ignored OCM’s warnings and moved ahead with a failed initiative and then used the OCM and its leadership as a scapegoat.”

Title closed pointing to the positive aspects of what is happening in New York despite the hiccups. 

“Any fair evaluation of New York’s rollout comparing its metrics against its own goals, and metrics in other states, demonstrates that New York leads the nation in terms of racial equity and cannabis — not surprising, given that its staff has been led by some of the country’s top experts on cannabis and equity, data, civil rights law, and antitrust law,” Title said, 

Ahead of the rally outside of Hochul’s office, DPA noted other positives from New York’s rollout being overshadowed in the controversy of the moment. Those include things like 95% of New York’s cannabis retail market is small businesses. But more importantly, New York has nearly tripled the number of Black-owned retail dispensaries nationwide in just 15 months.

“The Governor can change the players, but for NY activists who know that this is a marathon for equity and not a sprint, the game doesn’t change. We will continue to hold her accountable to the letter of the most equitable cannabis law in the country. This means that fifty percent of the market must be comprised of social equity outcomes including those from communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. We will not stop advocating for the state budget and support that it will take for NY to get there, despite the machine, including MSOs, that we are up against,” said Annette Fernandez, Managing Partner, High Exposure Agency; Founder, La Casa Lola; and Provisional Retail License Applicant.

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The New York Cannabis Control Board (CCB) has officially approved rules that allow adults over 21 to cultivate cannabis at home, as of June 11. Now adults can care for a maximum of six plants, with three immature plants and three mature. Residences with more than one adult can have up to 12 plants (six immature and six mature).

Additionally, new rules take place for possession in regard to a person’s crops. “You can have up to five (5) pounds of trimmed cannabis and the equivalent weight in concentrates in or on the grounds of their private residence,” the Office of Cannabis Management wrote in its law breakdown. “Individuals can carry and transport up to three (3) ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrates within the state.”

Cannabis can be grown anywhere that a person owns or rents such as a “room, home, apartment, mobile home, co-op, or other residential spaces.” Landlords cannot refuse to rent a space to a person, or penalize a tenant, unless they are at risk of losing federal funding or benefits.

The rules also cover how residents can legally obtain cannabis plants. Seeds will now be available at commercial retailers, but immature plants can also be purchased by numerous licensed cannabis businesses as well.

The OCM warned of the responsibilities of the grower, specifically when it comes to processing their flower into other cannabis products. “If you’re making at home products with cannabis, like tinctures or butters, the use of flammable materials is prohibited because they are not safe for home use,” the OCM stated. “Consider alternative extraction methods such as heat, water or fermentation.”

The OCM also mentioned the need to reduce cannabis odors. “You must take reasonable measures to prevent cannabis odor from becoming a nuisance to neighboring residents such as co-planting items like lavender in an outdoor garden or using a carbon filter for indoor cultivation,” the information document continued. Lastly, the agency warned growers to cultivate away from the public eye, either by installing fences or tall, busy plants to add privacy to outdoor property.

In the realm of safety, the OCM suggested that growers choose LED lights to reduce power usage and risk of electric overload and recommended that growers seek expertise from an electrician about the setup. It also stressed the importance of proper ventilation to ensure that cannabis does not become moldy.

These rules were originally approved in February 2024, which was followed by a 60-day public comment period. The CCB voted on final regulations for cultivation on June 11.

Also on June 11, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that the CCB has approved another 105 adult-use cannabis licenses. “New York is building a robust and equitable legal market that is driving significant economic growth within our communities,” said Hochul. “The issuance of 105 additional adult-use licenses is just the next step in developing the nation-leading industry New Yorkers expect and deserve.” This includes 25 cultivator licenses, 22 distributor licenses, 22 microbusiness licenses, 19 processor licenses, and 17 dispensary licenses. Additionally, 45 out of these 105 licenses are transitioning adult-use conditional cultivators (AUCC) or adult-use conditional processors (AUCP).

During the meeting, the CCB also denied licenses to 100 applicants that weren’t eligible or had already received a license from a different application.

CCB chair Tremaine Wright said in a statement that progress continues to push New York’s cannabis industry forward. “We continue to prioritize our market’s expansion, and commitment to our nation-leading cannabis market, by providing New Yorkers with a wide range of choice and opportunity to participate,” Wright said. “Today’s license approvals, and the introduction of home cultivation brings us one step closer to setting a new standard that centers growth, equity, and safety.”

So far in 2024, the CCB has approved a total of 654 cannabis licenses, while there are currently 132 adult-use cannabis dispensaries operating in the state.

Meanwhile, cannabis sales continue to increase in the state as well. The governor and OCM confirmed that in May, cannabis sales reached $4.4 million (for a total of $46.2 million). They project that by early June the state will have collected more than $200 million in sales.

The governor’s office attributes the success of its Social and Economic Equity (SEE) program as one of the reasons why the industry is thriving. The press release stated that 57 of the 105 new applicants (about 54%), are SEE applicants, which breaks down into “five Community Development Initiative participants, seven distressed farmers, 22 minority-owned businesses, seven service-disabled veteran-owned businesses, and 16 women-owned businesses.”

In May, the governor’s office stated that OCM executive director Chris Alexander would be stepping down this September following Hochul’s reevaluation of the agency and its leadership. The office described Hochul’s action as “an operational overhaul” which “follows the release of a 30-day assessment conducted by a team of individuals under the leadership of the Commissioner of the Office of General Services Jeanette Moy, that identified significant structural limitations to the Office of Cannabis Management that have affected the agency’s ability to fulfill its mandate to efficiently establish New York State’s cannabis marketplace.”

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On an overcast Tuesday evening at the end of September, hundreds of Amy Sedaris fans stood in line outside the Union Square Travel Agency—the third legal cannabis dispensary to open in Manhattan—for a chance to meet Sedaris, whose resume includes roles in Strangers with Candy, BoJack Horseman, and The Mandalorian. Fans braved the clouds and light rain in a line that stretched around the block, to purchase their cannabis from the dispensary’s first celebrity guest “travel agent,”—what the store calls their budtenders.

The Union Square Travel Agency, opened in February 2023, and is proud to be a BIPOC-founded company in partnership with The Doe Fund. The Doe Fund is a non-profit institution that has helped nearly 30,000 people of color, low-wage workers, and people who have experienced homelessness or incarceration achieve upward mobility by providing housing and combining it with paid work, career training, and other supportive services.

Sedaris said she was excited to do a guest shift at the dispensary in large part because of the shop’s partnership with The Doe Fund.

“The money goes to a good cause,” Sedaris said. “Something good is coming out of it. At least I know that this place is safe. It’s New York-grown. It goes to a good cause. And it’s in my neighborhood.”

John McDonald, the executive vice president of The Doe Fund and son of its founder, George T. McDonald, told High Times that his father anticipated a future involvement in cannabis.

“My father actually helped [Gov. Andrew] Cuomo write the legislation and he always predicted that there would be a dispensary, that we would run a dispensary, and I thought he was crazy,” McDonald said. “But it turned out that he was right. He passed on two years ago, unfortunately, but he was behind all this. And the way that they wrote the legislation was supposed to be that the people impacted negatively, by incarceration, were going to profit from the sales of the cannabis.” 

When asked if he was satisfied with that aspect of New York’s legal program, McDonald expressed promise in the partnership.

“It’s going great for us,” McDonald said. “I think it’s a great idea. The rollout’s been slow but I just think [that’s] because the folks that got the licenses didn’t necessarily have the means to be able to put it in production. And they didn’t necessarily have the loans. You know it’s a very hard business when you think about what it takes to be successful in this. So we were lucky to be able to partner, a public-private partnership, where we could collaborate and we share half of the proceeds that go to people in our program.”

Union Square Travel Agency CEO Paul Yau said what attracted him specifically to work with The Doe Fund was their prior long-standing relationship.

“We’ve had a relationship through one of our advisors, with The Doe Fund for decades, so it was a natural fit,” Yau said. “And we’d actually partnered with them before the CAURD (Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary) licensing program came out. So when the CAURD program came out [requiring the first NY cannabis businesses to be owned by justice-involved individuals] we just pivoted that relationship. So we always wanted to do something with The Doe Fund in cannabis. We just never knew it was going to be in such a big way.”

McDonald said the partnership with the Union Square Travel Agency has been beneficial. 

“We’re a $70 million dollar company, so say we get $3 million a year from this, or whatever it is, it’s a small part of our budget, but a very needed and very helpful part of it,” McDonald said.

“It’s unrestricted money but we try to put it in the pockets of the guys affected by this. But this is really a forward way to think. It helps lift all boats instead of one boat.”

With a design aesthetic resembling a cross between an Apple Store and a mid-20th century airport terminal, Yau is proud of what his store has been able to accomplish so far and looks forward to the industry growing.

“I think more stores are actually great for the industry,” Yau said. “There’s still so many illicit stores here, more legal stores just means more legal market growth. We feel very good about where we are. We have a beautiful store. And with 40 hours of off-site classroom training and continuing education from brand presentations at least two to three times per week, we probably have the most educated budtenders in the market. It helps them to engage with the customers. And proximity to public transit with Union Square right there, all helps to retain customers.”

But one demographic where customer growth could be improved is with women, who are underrepresented amongst the in-store shoppers at many dispensaries, and Yau hopes that the event with Sedaris could help counter that trend.

“We’re really in the first innings of New York cannabis and the majority of our customers are male,” he said. “And so what we’ve really wanted to do was try to activate more female customers and Amy’s perfect for that.”

Sedaris said she started reading High Times decades ago, giving her the experience necessary to be a budtender at the travel agency.

“I’m a sativa person,” Sedaris said. “I smoke. I’ll do edibles but I don’t like to take too many—I’m afraid of the dosage. So I prefer smoking it and rolling my own joints.” 

One of her favorite things to do while high was come up with ideas with her brother, humor writer David Sedaris.

“We would come up with these plays together and he would take notes,” Sedaris said. “But he never wrote high. He doesn’t get high anymore and I really miss that because when the two of us were high together, man, nothing made me laugh harder than that. I like getting high and laughing really hard. Getting high with someone funny? God, there’s nothing better.”

And what would her most famous characters think about Sedaris doing a shift as a guest travel agent? She quickly replied, “They all get high. All my characters get high.”

This article was originally published in the January 2024 issue of High Times Magazine.

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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul last week announced a significant overhaul of the state’s Office of Cannabis Management, including a leadership change at the top of the agency.

The governor’s office said in a press release on Friday that she had “directed an operational overhaul” of the agency, which “follows the release of a 30-day assessment conducted by a team of individuals under the leadership of the Commissioner of the Office of General Services Jeanette Moy, that identified significant structural limitations to the Office of Cannabis Management that have affected the agency’s ability to fulfill its mandate to efficiently establish New York State’s cannabis marketplace.”

Hochul detailed the changes at a press conference in Albany, where the New York Times reported that “Chris Alexander, the executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, was notably absent.”

According to the Times, Alexander “will step down at the end of his three-year term in September.”

Hochul called for the assessment earlier this year, saying at the time that New York’s legal cannabis rollout had been a “disaster.” Moy was directed to assemble a team to conduct a 30-day review of the office of Cannabi Management. In a letter to Hochul sent last week, Moy said that it was “clear from speaking to operational staff that they are dedicated, mission-driven, and working very hard,” and that in “order to alleviate pressures on staff, the task force took immediate action to recruit for vacant license processing positions to increase the size of the licensing team by 40%, and to explore technology like softphones to improve the hybrid work experience.”

Moy said that the task force “outlined recommendations to enhance customer service and expedite the opening of Adult-Use Retail businesses in New York State’s legal cannabis market.”

“It was a priority of the task force to craft recommendations that would enable this agency to be more transparent, efficient, and responsive to all New Yorkers. In conjunction with your recently announced Enforcement Task Force to shut down illegal cannabis stores, the recommendations in this report will enable OCM to maintain and build upon our State’s commitment to social equity, while maturing into a world-class regulatory agency for a thriving New York State cannabis market,” Moy said.

In Friday’s press release, the governor’s office said that the “assessment makes comprehensive recommendations to end the bottleneck of license applicants and improve communication with applicants and licensees – transforming the Office’s capacity to expand safe, legal cannabis operations across the state.”

“Based on the assessment’s findings, Governor Hochul announced a series of immediate actions to reform the licensing processes and increase enforcement against illegal storefronts. The Governor also announced the establishment of a $5 million grant program to help CAURD licensees and previewed next week’s launch of the Cannabis Enforcement Task Force,” the announcement said.

New York’s legal cannabis market has had a sluggish rollout; according to the New York Times, there are only 122 legal recreational cannabis dispensaries in the state, while “the number of illicit shops in New York City alone has nearly doubled to 2,900.”

“At the end of April, more than 5.600 applications, mostly for retail and craft businesses that submitted them as far back as August 2022, were still waiting to be reviewed,” the Times reported.

The governor’s office said that the “assessment identified significant impediments to the Office’s effective processing and approval of applicant licensure.”

“Without best capability to fulfill the licensing role, the individuals this process is designed to help are exhausting substantial resources navigating it and risk being left behind. Delays in the legal marketplace have created a vacuum for illegal storefronts to proliferate and squeeze out CAURD licensees. The reforms announced today will create additional capacity for closing illegal storefronts and lifting up legal operators,” the press release said.

Hoy said in a statement on Friday that the “multi-agency task force created to assess the Office of Cannabis Management has identified several steps the agency can take to unclog the bottleneck of applications by improving communication with applicants and streamlining the application process.” 

“The proposals outlined in the task force’s report will improve transparency and open lines of communication in the application process while boosting the state’s efforts to meet Governor Hochul’s commitment to equity in New York’s cannabis market,” Moy said.

In a statement, Hochul thanked Moy and her team “for their hard work and thoughtful assessment,” saying she looks forward “to working with OCM to implement the report’s recommendations and transform New York’s cannabis industry.”

“We promised to build the strongest, most equitable legal cannabis market in the nation, and we’re announcing long-needed steps to make New York’s cannabis program work as promised,” Hochul said.

But the Times said that the report “immediately drew backlash from critics who said it painted an incomplete portrait,” with some arguing that “it omitted or glossed over the role of the governor, the Legislature and the many lawsuits against the agency in the challenges facing the cannabis program.”

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After officially legalizing cannabis for adult use in New York, the journey that followed has been fairly tumultuous as multiple roadblocks have delayed shop licensure and hindered the legal industry’s full potential.

A number of lawsuits and a change in gubernatorial leadership delayed dispensary licensure and openings, in turn allowing the illicit market to flourish with those shops drastically outnumbering the amount of legal dispensaries in the state.

As New York growers, business owners and myriad cannabis professionals continue to wait for their licenses to be approved, some New York lawmakers are embracing a different approach (that would likely extend the wait for industry hopefuls even longer).

Namely, Queens Community Board 9 Chairwoman Sherry Algredo argued that New York should refrain from adding any licensed cannabis shops to her district until authorities are able to shut down those operating illegally, according to a New York Post report. Community Board 9 covers the neighborhoods Key Gardens, Richmond Hill, Ozone Park and Woodhaven.

Ongoing Concerns About New York’s Bustling Illicit Weed Market

“The Board received numerous concerns from residents regarding the proliferation of illegal smoke shops already operating in our district and the negative impact these establishments have had on our community,” Algredo said in a recent letter. “Consequently, the Board will not support any new applications until these illegal operations are shut down.”

While Algredo’s statement reads as fairly definitive, the boards’ recommendations are advisory to state regulators, though they can still influence final policy decisions. The law that legalized cannabis in New York also mandates that applicants for cannabis licenses must notify the community board within the vicinity they plan to operate and appear before it prior to opening their businesses.

The conversation surrounding illicit cannabis shops in New York has been ongoing, though Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) and other lawmakers have consistently touted their efforts to mitigate theses problems.

In April, the governor unveiled new initiatives aimed to shut down illicit cannabis operations and protect the legal cannabis marketplace. The plan allows the Office of Cannabis Management and local municipalities new authority to take action against illicit shops. 

“Unlicensed dispensaries have littered New York neighborhoods, blatantly circumventing our laws and selling potentially dangerous products,” Hochul said in a statement. “Enough is enough. I promised to protect our communities and hard-working, legal cannabis licensees by expediting the closure of illicit storefronts. I’m proud to stand up and say we got it done.”

Nurturing the Legal Industry While Combating the Illicit One

Last month also marked the opening of the 100th adult-use store in the state. New York legalized adult-use cannabis on March 31, 2021. It also looks like that number should increase soon, as the New York State Cannabis Control Board (CCB) shared last month that it approved an additional 101 adult-use cannabis licenses with more than 400 total approved sites in 2024. 

Conversely, it’s estimated that New York City alone has about 2,000 illicit cannabis stores currently operating.

The state is still working to do what it can to fix the issues with the legal industry rollout. Lawmakers recently passed another resolution that gives the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) the ability to issue provisional licenses, which the CCB hopes will speed up the licensing process. 

“This measure aims to provide provisional license holders with opportunities to begin operations swiftly while adhering to regulatory requirements, fostering a dynamic and competitive marketplace,” the CCB explained.

Still, it’s clear that closing illicit pot shops in the state will not be an easy task. Many illicit shops immediately reopened after raids and temporary shutdown orders under the prior rules, and it’s not yet clear how effective the newly announced laws to close illegal shops will be in practice.

Because of that, closing all illicit shops before allowing new ones to open, even in a single district, may be tougher in reality than in theory. Still, some lawmakers are standing by the need to close unlicensed shops before adding more licensed ones.

“We have 32 illegal cannabis shops. We are not going to entertain any applications for legal cannabis shops until the unlicensed stores are shut down,” CB 9 District Manager James McClelland told The Post.

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In an announcement last week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the state of New York reached a significant milestone: the grand opening of the state’s 100th Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) brick-and-mortar store. 

Big Gas is located in the village of New Paltz, located near Poughkeepsie. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and a handful of state leaders joined Big Gas owners, Kareem Haynesworth and Zymia Lewis for the grand opening of the store for public sales. “Big Gas is proud to be the first licensed cannabis dispensary in the City of New Paltz,” Big Gas Owners Zymia Lewis and Kareem Haynsworth said. “We are here with the support of the New York State Cannabis Investment Fund, who led us to this great location. This is beyond our wildest dreams.”

“We are pleased to be a host community in NYS’s Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary program,” said Village of New Paltz Mayor Tim Roger. “This initiative has allowed the state to 1) invest in a private fund to support individuals impacted by the inequitable enforcement of cannabis law and 2) protect public safety with NYS-sourced, regulated, and tested cannabis.”

Hochul applauded this historic milestone for New York’s cannabis industry.

“New York State continues to make progress on standing up a safe and legal cannabis industry for business owners, farmers and residents across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “Today marks a historic milestone in establishing a thriving and equitable industry in our state with the 100th brick-and-mortar store opening.”

New York officials licensed 110 adult-use cannabis retailers including storefronts and temporary delivery-only (TDO) locations across the state, with more anticipated to open soon. It’s a mix of CAURD licensees with storefronts, CAURD licensees providing delivery services, and adult-use dispensaries co-located with existing medical dispensaries. 

New York industry is taking off, reflected by the rapidly growing number of retailers and sales, with total sales exceeding $237 million, $77 million of which was generated in the first two and a half months of 2024. It’s all the signs of a thriving market. The rollout of New York’s cannabis program, however, was hammered by delays caused by lawsuits and the prevalence of illegal cannabis retailers. One such delay was a lawsuit led by Leafly that challenged New York’s ban on third party advertisers for cannabis businesses.

New York places emphasis on social equity measures to ensure that the state’s industry includes communities impacted the most by the criminalization of cannabis.

Despite setbacks, state leaders have been optimistic. Within its first year of operation, New York achieved and surpassed the Social and Economic Equity (SEE) goal laid out in the adult-use law with 60% of licenses given to social and economic equity applicants. Forty percent of social equity licenses are minority-owned businesses and 40% are women-owned businesses, respectively.

The governor’s announcement stated that this also almost doubled the percentage of majority minority-owned cannabis retailers nationwide. As of April 2024, 37% of New York’s adult-use retailers are majority minority-owned as only 19% are majority minority-owned nationwide. 

In addition, 11% of New York’s adult-use retailers were majority Black-owned, while nationally, that number is at just 2%. Approximately 50% of New York’s open dispensaries are minority- and/or women-owned businesses.

Office of Cannabis Management Executive Director Chris Alexander said, “We are incredibly proud of our licensees across New York State who have worked diligently to cross this threshold. Today’s celebration at Big Gas belongs not only to the team who opened their doors to business to eager customers today, but to every single licensee who is building this market from seed to sale. It echoes our commitment to catalyzing growth, fostering diversity, and championing equity within the cannabis sector. This milestone embodies our tireless endeavors to reshape the industry landscape and underscores our resolve to push the boundaries of progress. Supported by the New York Cannabis Social Equity Investment Fund, we take pride in our progress and pledge to persist in our pursuit of inclusivity and advancement of New York’s Cannabis Market.”

“We take great pride in being able to support individuals who have been affected by unjust enforcement of cannabis laws and help them thrive in this emerging industry,” said Social Equity Impact Ventures LLC General Principal of the Fund’s General Partner Lavetta Willis. “Access levels the playing field. We are thrilled for Zymia Lewis and Kareem Haynesworth and wish them great success. We express our heartfelt gratitude to Governor Hochul for leading the way and paving the path to a socially equitable sector that promotes inclusivity and equal opportunities for all.”

Hundreds more retail operations dot the state as licensed businesses compete with the black market.

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New York is continuing its slow roll toward expanding the number of cannabis businesses operating throughout the state. On April 12, the New York State Cannabis Control Board (CCB) approved 101 more adult-use cannabis licenses, and now the total number of licenses approved in 2024 so far sits at 403.

Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to be vocal about celebrating these milestones. “With the Cannabis Control Board’s issuance of 101 adult-use cannabis licenses, New York’s legal cannabis industry continues to make significant progress with over 400 licenses issued in 2024,” said Hochul. “Strengthening New York’s equitable cannabis industry and ensuring the hard-working small business owners operating in the legal market have the licenses to open are the best way to protect the integrity of sales in New York.”

The CCB recently approved a resolution that allowed for a diverse, ranging from varying microbusinesses, cultivators, processors, distributors, and retail dispensaries. “This resolution opens pathways for entrepreneurs and businesses to participate in the budding adult-use cannabis market, fostering economic growth and innovation,” the CCB wrote in a press release. This license round includes 25 cultivators, 25 dispensaries, 22 microbusinesses, 11 distributors, 10 provisional dispensaries, and eight processors.

Another resolution was passed, which gives the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) the ability to issue provisional licenses, which the CCB hopes will speed up the licensing process. “This measure aims to provide provisional license holders with opportunities to begin operations swiftly while adhering to regulatory requirements, fostering a dynamic and competitive marketplace,” the CCB explained.

Now, provisional licenses can be approved by the CCB in regularly scheduled meetings, as well as the OCM, allowing license holders to lock down their retail locations until its time to receive final approval from the CCB. Provisional licenses are granted if the applicant provides all the necessary materials that they would need to apply for a full retail license, with the exception of not yet having a physical store location.

CCB board chair Tremaine Wright praised the passage of the new resolutions, which will help build up the cannabis industry in New York. “These resolutions represent a significant milestone in our efforts to establish a robust and responsible adult-use cannabis market,” Wright said. “By issuing this new batch of licenses, enhancing enforcement protocols, and introducing provisional licensing, we are creating a framework that prioritizes equity, transparency, and public safety.”

OCM executive director Chris Alexander called the move a “crucial step forward” for the 101 new licensees “who have the grit, skill, and ability to make sure our equitable market has the power to deliver the quality cannabis products New Yorkers expect to purchase when they walk into a legal dispensary.”

Earlier this month, a New York State Supreme Court ruling struck down the state’s current ban on third party advertisements. Initially, the ruling invalidated all of New York’s adult-use regulations but was amended to apply only to the state’s rules on marketing.

The lawsuit was led by Leafly Holdings, Stage One Dispensary, and a New York-based consumer. “It’s impossible to overstate the importance of providing consumers with choices, and educational information when making purchasing decisions,” Leafly said in a statement. “It is critically important that licensed retailers have equal access to important advertising and marketing tools to help them succeed in a competitive landscape.”

Individuals such as Sen. Jeremy Cooney (current chair of the Senate cannabis subcommittee) were not as happy about the outcome. “Today’s State Supreme Court decision was another setback in a series of blows New York’s adult-use cannabis market has faced since legalization, three years ago,” said Cooney. “While some changes to marketing regulations are needed, the decision by the Court to throw out all agency regulations will ultimately slow progress at a time when we need to more aggressively combat illicit shops to grow a stronger, more-equitable legal market.”

In late March, the CCB also addressed the needs of struggling cannabis farmers by waiving cultivator license fees for the next two years. Hochul called farmers the “backbone” of the state, and explained the need to support those family farms. “I have made it clear that New York State needs to issue more dispensary licenses and kickstart cannabis sales in New York, and this two-year promise to Adult-Use Conditional Cultivators will make sure these farmers can reap the benefits of this growing industry,” Hochul said.

Previously, cultivators needed to pay a fee when they applied to transition to a non-conditional license (including cultivation and microbusinesses). The fee can be as low as $4,500, and as high as $40,000, depending on the license tier size and canopy size of their grow.

New York’s adult-use cannabis industry was signed into law in March 2021 by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. While Hochul took office in August 2021, adult-use cannabis sales did not begin until December 2022. In January 2024, Hochul commented on how the rollout of the adult-use cannabis industry was a “disaster,” and in need of review. As of March 18, Hochul announced that her administration would be assessing the current state of industry regulations.

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A New York court ruled in favor of Leafly Holdings and other plaintiffs that the state’s ban on third-party cannabis marketing is unconstitutional, striking down advertising rules, after the ruling initially invalidated all of the state’s adult-use regulations.

Last September, a lawsuit filed by the plaintiffs Leafly Holdings, adult-use retailer Stage One Dispensary, and a customer who uses Leafly to inform her decisions about cannabis purchases challenged New York’s ban on third-party advertisers. Specifically, the plaintiffs sued over rules that banned third-party marketing for cannabis companies—think apps and platforms like Weedmaps and Leafly. Leafly documents over 5,000 cannabis strains and shows their terpene profiles, lineage, and effects among other data that can make choosing a strain safer.

The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) regulations on non-plant-touching third-party platforms, as is, would essentially block Leafly from doing business in New York. In the lawsuit, Leafly cited several allegedly problematic rules including one that bans retailers from paying for “marketing or promotion through a third-party platform, marketplace, or aggregator that lists cannabis products for sale”; and another that bans licensees from contracting with a “person or entity performing any function or activity directly involving the licensed activities authorized for the license type.” 

State Supreme Court Justice Kevin R. Bryant ruled in favor of the plaintiffs Thursday, declaring that the New York cannabis industry’s rules are arbitrary, capricious, and therefore unconstitutional. Bryant’s April 4 decision invalidates OCM cannabis regulations parts 118-121, 123-125, and 131, saying that the OCM failed to show evidence to justify how the rules were developed.

“We are reviewing the decision and exploring all possible legal options,” a representative of the OCM told High Times Friday morning.

Leafly Holdings, Inc., et. al v. New York State Office of Cannabis Management, et. al reads, “For the foregoing reasons, the petition is granted, and the following sections are hereby declared null and void as arbitrary and capricious; The Third-Party Marketing Ban, Parts 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §§123.10(g)(21) and 124.5(a); the Pricing Ban, 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §124.1(b)(5)(ii) the Third-Party Order Ban, 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §123.10(g)(23); the Third-Party All-Licensee Listing Mandate, 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §124.l(b)(2); and the Third-Party Distributor Listing Mandate, 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §124.l(c)(l)-(2),” Honorable Kevin R. Bryant, J.S.C. Ruled. The original sweeping order appeared to invalidate all of New York’s adult-use rules, however the ruling was quickly clarified to apply only to marketing rules by the end of the day.

Leafly was more than pleased with the news. “It’s impossible to overstate the importance of providing consumers with choices, and educational information when making purchasing decisions,” the company said in a statement. “It is critically important that licensed retailers have equal access to important advertising and marketing tools to help them succeed in a competitive landscape.” Leafly didn’t immediately respond to High Times for comment.

Did the Ruling Invalidate New York’s Cannabis Regulations?

For a few hours on Thursday, the ruling invalidated or appeared to invalidate the whole of New York’s cannabis regulations as it was originally written. Syracuse.com reports that Judge Bryant’s “jaw-dropping decision” applied to the regulations broadly, and it “strikes down all New York recreational cannabis rules.” Chris Roberts for MJBizDaily wrote that the decision could send New York’s into “chaos” as it was unclear if cannabis businesses could be operated without any rules in place, or what else might happen.

Some people were happy to see the rules get tossed. Why? Lawsuits and bureaucratic problems have left New York’s adult-use cannabis market in bedlam. Only about two dozen legal dispensaries are open, as oversupply from farmers stacks up and black market shops step in to fill the void. Even Gov. Kathy Hochul called it a “disaster” so some didn’t exactly shed a tear when it appeared the rules were invalid.

State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, chair of the Senate’s cannabis subcommittee, was among those who quickly slammed the ruling, before the ruling was amended.

“Today’s State Supreme Court decision was another setback in a series of blows New York’s adult-use cannabis market has faced since legalization, three years ago,” he wrote in a statement. “While some changes to marketing regulations are needed, the decision by the Court to throw out all agency regulations will ultimately slow progress at a time when we need to more aggressively combat illicit shops to grow a stronger, more-equitable legal market.”

Fox News reports that the court “dramatically scaled back his order from the previous day that had invalidated most of the state’s cannabis regulations in a case challenging rules for advertising marijuana.”

Now that the court has clarified that the ruling only applies to marketing and advertising rules, it demonstrates how Leafly’s win will open up the doors to third-party companies looking to expand into New York’s market.

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Navigating through all of the new rap artists emerging out of NYC can be tough. Finding someone who is fresh, interesting, and likes to get stoned might even be a mission. Lucky for me, I stumbled upon Cleotrapa. 

Cleo being from Staten Island, which happens to be my hometown, made the assignment even more intriguing. Pair that with the fact that she’s Ice Spice‘s “baddie friend” who’s been by her side in most of the snippets and videos that have stacked up millions of views, this was undoubtedly someone who I had to meet. 

Initially, the first step was to talk to her team. I needed to know what this woman really smokes. Initially, her team led me to believe Cleo was smoking Sprinklez. This is a trend I’m seeing a lot in New York with the youth—they’re leaning towards premium flower with added terpenes. So, I did my due diligence and found her some new flavors of Sprinklez through the homies over at Pressure Paint. I let her team know that I was fully equipped with the bud of choice, and we made plans to get stoned and talk some shit.

Eventually, the game plan turned into a fashion week smoke out. It’s that time of the year in NYC, I’m linking up with Cleotrapa, and we’re going to get baked and hit up some events. Upon arrival at our meetup spot, I hopped in the car, presented her with my acquisition, and she went on to tell me how I was misinformed about her strain preference. Checkmate? I think not! I ended up coming extra prepared and traded her for some buds I had from a beautiful batch of Galactic Runtz courtesy of Wood Wide out of Mendocino and some delicious LA Pop Rocks locally grown by the homies Brooklyn Boys Cannabis Co. She was happy with the gifts, we ended up twisting up some fatties, and inevitably got the car so cloudy that we could barely see anything. Her song “Rockstar” had just dropped, racking up thousands of views in real time, which was why it ultimately became our soundtrack as she proceeded to make social media magic on our way to the event in the passenger seat.

Moments later, we arrive at Belaire‘s NYC headquarters. Cleo has been invited by one of my super-knowledgeable stoner friends, Trinidad James, to get an exclusive look at his Hommewrk line. With just a few clicks on Google you’ll quickly find that Trinidad James is a Grammy-award winner and behind the scenes contributor to some of our favorite artists’ projects. While it wasn’t exactly a smoker’s crowd, Trinidad and I compared rosin pods while he gave Cleo a full tour of his new line, along with some inspirational words. We nearly ended our night there, but I wanted to contribute to this evening’s vibes and give Cleotrapa the entire scope of cannabis in NYC.

Last but not least, I took her over to the beautiful new dispensary in NYC’s Upper East Side, The Herbal Care (THC). THC is one of NYC’s premier legal spaces for cannabis. Overall, it was a lovely affair. Cleo’s energy was infectious as she legally dispensed bud to some of her adoring fans at the counter. At one point, I looked over and noticed THC’s owner, Markel Bababekov, shouting, “Let’s give it up one time for Cleotrapa!” as the legendary photographer, Johnny Nunez, snapped away and the crowd went wild. She officially became a celebrity guest budtender, and pulled it off like an absolute natural.

Furthermore, with fashion week and budtending case study a success, I decided to do my typical move and have my in-person interview back at the Astor Club. Cleotrapa and I already smoked outside, in cars, and she even got a taste of the legal business. So, it’s only right that I show her my favorite under-the-radar club with some of the best cannabis in the country. Taking advantage of one of the best menus I’ve ever experienced, we rolled joints of Maine Trees Blue Lobster, Archive‘s Moonbow, and some delicious Permanent Marker from Marijuantauk Gardens. With a proper sesh in motion, I was finally able to get some questions off to her. 

What can you tell us about the first time you ever smoked cannabis?

[LAUGHS] I was in 7th grade. I went to IS 49, and my school was right across the street. I see my friend with a couple of kids and she was like, “Come walk with us to the store.” So, I was like, “Cool.” I figured we would just walk to school together. Then, they walk into this building, go into the staircase and stop. This boy pulls out some weed he was crushing in loose-leaf paper. He rolled up. We smoked, and I thought I was so high. I don’t even think we smoked that much. We walked across the street to school and I’m telling everybody I’m high. I’m thinking I’m the coolest just laughing OD in class. That was so funny.

Okay, so since you started young, how was the first time you got in trouble? 

My mom….She never knew I smoked. I had gotten some weed from somebody and I rolled it up in a regular loose-leaf paper. I did not know what I was doing. I did not know how to roll, and I think this was still middle school. I was really doing it for pictures, just making it look like I’m smoking it. I mean I wanted to smoke, but I didn’t roll it right. It’s a damn regular loose-leaf paper! I uploaded the pictures to Facebook, and my mom saw it. I lied and said there was no weed in there, it’s just an effects filter I used and showed it to her. I told her I edited the photo to have a blurred, smokey effect. And she was kinda believing it, but then she was like, “Why do you want people to believe that you are smoking?” So, I still got my ass beat for trying to look like I was smoking! 

At what point did you become an everyday stoner?

When I learned how to roll. Actually, before I learned how to roll, I would still get mad high with my friends. I would be with my friend all the time in her room getting mad high. She knew how to roll, her cousin knew how to roll, so we would just buy weed and get high. Since I didn’t know how to roll and she did, I would only smoke with her. I would make sure I was with her all the damn time. I was sleeping over there partially just to get high because I could not do anything like that at my crib. So, we was smoking it down. And she would try to teach me how to roll, but that was so fucking hard for me.

Did you finally get the hang of it?

Not until I got a boyfriend, who was like, “If you’re gonna smoke, you gotta roll.” I’m like, “Damn what the fuck? Alright, fine.” He really forced me to start rolling. I started rolling with Backwoods, and that’s what I learned with. Now I think Backwoods are disgusting—I only smoke papers.

These days, when is your favorite time to get high? 

I love to get super high and hit the studio. I love to get high and start writing to music. 

So, your track “Rockstar” is doing great numbers and it is an independent release. With music being a serious venture for you, how have you been able to make yourself stand out?

I’ve never stopped making videos. It’s something that I can’t stop, because if I have some shit to say, I want to say it in a video. I’m gonna be way more animated and you’re gonna know how I feel. I like to talk shit and just say it in a video. I’ve been doing them since 2018. And even before that, I’ll look at my Facebook and realize I’ve been talking shit the entire time!

You’re on a TV show and your music is buzzing, what else are you working on?

My clothing. So, before music or before anything, I wanted to go to school for fashion. I wanted to be a fashion designer, and it’s just so funny how the world works when you have a platform. My mom didn’t want me to do fashion design. She told me that fashion designers had it hard and it took a long time for them to make money. So, what I realized it came down to was me having my own personal brand. When you have your own personal brand, you could do what the fuck you want to do. So, with my clothing line, I know that I can do it and make a lot of money. My mom was really doubting me. She knew where she was coming from, but I know where I need to take this. I’m glad that I’m doing everything I want to do. I pushed myself, I stayed consistent.

Check out Cleotrapa’s new self-designed merch here: https://cleotrapa.com/ along with her new freestyle “Muggy Mcquire” here: 

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Since breaking through with Sixteen Stone in 1994, Bush’s Gavin Rossdale has been a music industry mainstay. The debut album peaked at #4 on the Billboard charts, leading to successful albums and side projects over the next three decades.

The band’s debut release, known for hits like “Machinehead” and “Glycerine,” solidified Bush’s 90s legacy. They continued with chart-topping releases, including 1996’s follow-up Razorblade Suitcase, and maintained momentum through the 2000s. Their latest album, The Art of Survival, released in 2022. 

The combined endeavors created a lasting impact in the ears and minds of listeners, amassing 24 million records sold and over a billion streams across various platforms. With Gen-Z leading a 90s revival in recent years, the band has earned scores more fans while reminding older listeners that unlike some 90s acts, Bush isn’t a nostalgia act. 

That’s great and all, but why are we talking about this in a weed publication?

Great question! It all boils down to authenticity. Gavin Rossdale’s eager engagement with New York’s weed culture, exploring both licensed and unlicensed scenes, stands out in the saturated world of celebrity weed narratives that few others have been willing to embark on. In doing so, he created a lasting experience for himself and hopefully readers. 

The Licensed Dispensary Experience

We introduced Rossdale to New York’s licensed cannabis scene with a stop at The Travel Agency in Union Square, a sleek, all-white interior dispensary with discreet marketing, thanks to state laws. Despite its unassuming street presence, marked only by a small sign above eye level, a joint-styled art installation in the window lets passersby know what’s inside.

Rossdale mentioned previously visiting one of the city’s untold number of unlicensed shops in the city. He discussed how the shop gave off a lack of trust and fostered shopper uncertainty about product quality and trust. 

“You’re just basically buying it old school from some dude on the corner,” he remarked. Rossdale felt similarly uncertain about licensed shop products, likely due to his unfamiliarity with many of the brands sold in the store and an inability to smell flower. 

However, he took a keen interest in learning. Photographer Jhalil D. Wright and I peppered Rossdale with facts about the market, products, and particular brands. Typically, this type of info dump leads many to tune out or lose interest. To the singer’s credit, he soaked up the information, showing an eagerness to learn about topics like market trust, sprayed terps, and drying and curing methods.

While shopping, the Bush frontman discussed his preference for smoking flower and largely avoiding pre-rolls. After browsing for a few minutes, Rossdale bought an eighth of Mimosa from Etain despite the restrictions on examining product before buying. He also scooped up edibles from Eaton Botanticals, infused olive oil from Chef for Higher, and Flintts Mints.

The experience was fine enough, or at least as much as a shop can deliver under New York law. But, like many legacy consumers, Rossdale seemed to be seeking something more hands-on. To get that, we visited the underground hotspot Astor Club. 

On the ride over, Rossdale discussed his preferences for weed over alcohol, stating that drinking and hangovers do not benefit singers while on tour. No matter the substance, Rossdale likes to remember that it should amplify the moment or intention, not bring someone down. He’s shared this with his three sons under-18. 

He emphasized the importance of telling them the truth. “Use it to amplify the moment instead of pull you down,” he explained. “My main thing is just to be a guy, to be helpful, not a hypocrite,” he said, noting that pot makes him feel creative. To maintain the effects to his ideal level, Rossdale tends to consume every few days. 

The Legacy Experience

At Astor Club, Rossdale found the cannabis experience he was looking for. No shade to The Travel Agency or any other licensed spot. It’s not their fault. The current state and federal regulations don’t allow dispensaries to compete with the flower or features found at underground meccas. On the other hand, Astor Club has cultivated a reputation for sourcing the top bud from elite producers across the country—all while creating an environment synonymous with the culture. 

After rolling up a J of Cookie Dough from Khashtree Mason, Rossdale was convinced. “It’s like Cristal Champagne,” he said, offering ample praise for the bud and the lounge. The Bush founder was so fond of the strain that he almost stuck to it exclusively. Staff ended up reminding him of their extensive menu, all top tier options in their own right. Eventually, a few different strains were selected and smoked.  

After smoking another J, Rossdale discussed his career and personal life in-depth. Feeling that living with intention, learning, and striving to improve are all important, he said, “You have to put everything into it.” As evidenced by Bush’s new harder rock and detuned sound, Rossdale said he loves finding new sounds and ways to play music, as evidenced by the detuned sound on the band’s 2022 album The Art of Survival. 

A greatest hits album, Loaded, was released in October 2023. Originally hesitant to put out a hits compilation and be seen as a fading act, Rossdale is now eager to see the band’s top works compiled together. 

“It’s been really fun to look back and see what those songs have done for other people,” Rossdale said, sharing a similar feeling when playing live. “When I play those big crowds, it’s really fun, because there’s all these memories emanating like shooting stars out of all the audiences.” The band embarks on a summer tour starting June 1. 

Despite the ongoing passion for music and performing, Rossdale does see retirement happening at some point. A self-proclaimed fan of restaurants and food, he recently put his passion on screen hosting his own celebrity cooking show, Rockstar Kitchen Chronicles, featuring guests such as Tom Jones and Jack McBrayer. 

Despite a love for food, music, the plant, and more, Rossdale envisions dogs as his ideal next career. “I would like to run a huge ranch for rescue dogs and animals,” he said. 

Enamored with the menu of choices, Rossdale, Jhalil and I departed Astor Club with a few more selections, including more Cookie Dough and Moon Doh from Archive. 

An Authentic Celebrity Experience

Credit to Rossdale and his public relations team. All too often, PR will pitch Zoom interviews and carefully curated celebrity press ops that blanket numerous outlets and reporters, often regurgitating the same talking points no matter the outlet. 

After years of writing up celeb features that didn’t do much for the plant or reader, I have chosen to steer clear of most star-studded coverage, especially those making the media rounds hawking their new seeds, strain, brand, etc. Rossdale was no doubt in press mode, promoting his new tour and latest single. But unlike far too many celebrities, he didn’t have a stake in the weed game. He just wanted to pick up, smoke, and talk shop. 

This simple, authentic concept is one few outside of hip hop have even flirted with on the record. And that’s a damn shame. The standard media approach does little for readers and, as sales seem to indicate, it does little to help most brands boost sales or awareness. Rather than Zoom-ing or calling it to discuss a fondness for weed, Rossdale showed up, discussed his own experiences, and demonstrated an authentic desire to learn more. In doing so, he got to see both sides of New York City’s weed community, and got hella high in the process. And, unless I fucked up in my role as the storyteller here, the Rossdale approach makes for a better story every time. 

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