Gov. Kathy Hochul promised to make New York’s fledgling marijuana program a top priority.
Former governor with scandal. Andrew Cuomo and the state legislature passed the law in March that legalized the sale of weeds in New York.
But Cuomo, locked in a dispute with the state Senate, did not appoint an executive director for the new Cannabis Management Office or appoint people appointed to the Cannabis Control Board, despite the Law regulating and imposing marijuana was approved months ago.
The Senate must confirm the appointments.
Appointments are needed to establish and approve new rules and licenses for companies and employees in the emerging marijuana industry, from cultivation to sales.
During negotiations on cannabis appointments, Cuomo was embroiled in a separate dispute with the legislature over the leadership changes he wanted to make to the MTA. He was flagged after lawmakers blocked legislation to split MTA’s top leadership positions into two positions, and a spokesman even suggested that the traffic agency and cannabis appointments be related.
Hochul pledged Wednesday to clean up the logjam.
“The candidacy and confirmation of people with diverse and experienced experience, who are representative of communities across the state, on the Cannabis Control Board is a priority for Governor Hochul,” the spokesman told The Post of the new governor, Jordan Bennett.
“We look forward to working with the legislature to continue to advance this process,” the Hochul representative said.
It is more than a symbolic gesture.
Hochul has discussed his desire to continue cannabis appointments with Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx).
“They’ve talked about the need to make board appointments,” said Mike Murphy, a spokesman for Stewart-Cousins.
Heastie also said Hochul made it clear that implementing the marijuana program would be a priority during a private meeting he attended Tuesday with the new governor and Stewart-Cousins.
“She said this was something she wanted us all to focus on, and we agreed,” Heastie said.
Under the law, New York will levy a special tax on 13% of marijuana sales, with 9% in the state and 4% in local governments.
A wholesale tax will be levied based on potency: one cent per milligram in food products, eight tenths of a cent on concentrated cannabis and half a cent per milligram in flowers or buds.
New York officials estimate that marijuana sales could generate $ 350 million a year in tax revenue for government coffers and create jobs for residents in disadvantaged communities.
Massachusetts has been selling cannabis at local pot shops since the fall of 2018, with many customers crossing the border from New York State.
New Jersey and Connecticut also recently passed laws legalizing the sale of marijuana for recreational use and rules are being established for the new industry.