New York’s legal cannabis rollout is having a rocky start and has been plagued by numerous problems, including too many farmers licensed to grow cannabis and too few stores open to sell their products.
The adult use of recreational cannabis was legalized over two years ago, and since then, the industry in the state has progressed slowly. Just a handful of retail stores have opened to sell cannabis to date.
As a result, around 200 farmers granted growing licenses in 2022 have been left stranded. They have crops that have been harvested but have few places to sell them.
Jeff Jones, who has a state license to grow cannabis in the Finger Lakes region, is one of several farmers who expressed displeasure at a recent meeting of the state’s Cannabis Control Board.
“I am profoundly disappointed in the current direction and deeds of the state of New York and the many entities represented in this room,” Jones told the board members. “Collectively, these agencies are not moving fast enough to create a viable marketplace for small businesses.”
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