John Schroyer
In its inaugural annual report filed with the state legislature, the New York Office of Cannabis Management’s leadership team offered up eight policy recommendations for lawmakers to consider, including one suggestion to greatly expand the medical marijuana program.
That suggestion alone could lead to major industry upheaval, depending on how it plays out.
The OCM oversees a trio of siloed cannabis industries, the agency reminded lawmakers in its report:
- Cannabinoid hemp program
- Medical cannabis program
- Adult-use cannabis program
The eight policy recommendations could affect all three sectors and result in major landscape shifts, if enacted by lawmakers.
The suggestions from the OCM range from straightforward, such as implementing more efficient registration, licensing, and permitting, to the more vague suggestion of promoting social and economic equity, a plan that still lacks formal details.
Perhaps the most significant and game-changing recommendation from the OCM is its proposal to expand the medical cannabis program. To do this, the agency is suggesting the state do away with a requirement that medical marijuana patients and caregivers register with their office, in an attempt to lure them into the legal market and away from illicit cannabis products and sellers.
The OCM also suggested boosting the number of licensed MMJ companies, from 10 to an unspecified number and increasing the number of retail shops those companies are allowed to operate. Details on this possibility are still very unclear, however, particularly how medical will be differentiated from recreational if patients aren’t required to register with the state.
Other recommendations include:
- Expand enforcement efforts. The OCM noted that there has been a “proliferation of illicit cannabis shops” across the state, and the bottom line is something must be done about them. The recommendation is the state “use every tool possible to shut down these illegal operators,” but there were no additional specifics on how that would be accomplished.
- Address legacy market. This will likely be tied closely to enforcement, pairing a carrot with a stick for entrepreneurs who are tempted to remain in the underground. But, again, no real details were offered to support the policy.
- Protect public health and safety. This is yet another policy priority that will be linked closely to enforcement against the illicit market, but there’s a clearer path to achieving this, the OCM posited: Monitor hospital data, emergency room admissions, and other available data to evaluate the true impact of cannabis legalization on consumers. The OCM also suggested bolstering a public education campaign.
- Support cannabis research and information dissemination. This suggestion aims to help close the knowledge gap regarding a lack of truly scientific research into cannabis and both its benefits and drawbacks. The OCM wants to set up a network of researchers in order to share and spread information about cannabis use.
- Support sustainable business practices. This is reflective of a movement within the industry away from wasteful single-use plastic packaging and towards recycled packaging and more environmentally friendly regulations.
Time will tell if any of these suggestions become actual industry rules.
