Gov. Kathy Hochul vowed that getting New York’s budding marijuana sales program off the ground will be a high priority.
Scandal-scarred ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Legislature approved the law back in March that legalized the sale of weed in New York.
But Cuomo — locked in a dispute with the state Senate — didn’t nominate an executive director for the new Office of Cannabis Management or name appointees to the Cannabis Control Board, even though the Marijuana Taxation and Regulation Act was passed months ago.
The Senate must confirm the appointments.
The appointments are necessary to set up and approve new rules and licensing for firms and employees in the emerging marijuana industry — from cultivation to sales.
During negotiations over the cannabis appointments, Cuomo was embroiled in a separate spat with the legislature over leadership changes he wanted to make at the MTA. He was ticked off after lawmakers blocked legislation to split the top MTA leadership positions into two posts — and a spokesman even suggested the transit agency appointments and cannabis ones were linked
Hochul on Wednesday promised to clear the logjam.
“Nominating and confirming individuals with diverse experiences and subject matter expertise, who are representative of communities from across the state, to the Cannabis Control Board is a priority for Gov. Hochul,” the new governor’s spokesman, Jordan Bennett, told The Post. [Read More @ The NY Post]
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