The unlawful distribution of Oregon cannabis products has hit dispensaries on the East Coast, according to a new report. An investigation by the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association found that licensed dispensaries have sold marijuana flower that wasn't grown locally and that illegally entered the state in "bulk quantities."
Although the issue has been attributed to New York's need for a standardized track-and-trace system, the association listed specific states where these illegal products have been more likely to originate from.
"This growing problem — known as 'inversion' — occurs when cannabis grown in oversaturated markets like California, Oregon, and Washington is illegally diverted into newer markets like New York where cannabis processors and distributors purchase it for heavily discounted prices," NYMCIA said in a release.
Although New York legalized adult cannabis consumption in 2021, it is still illegal to sell products that weren't grown, manufactured or tested within the state. And while Oregon became one of the first states to legalize cannabis in 2014, federal laws against the substance have prohibited distribution across state lines.
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