New York’s recent crackdown on illicit cannabis retailers is achieving its goal of aiding legal cannabis operators, but those being targeted are saying the state is violating their right to due process and killing legitimate...more
New York’s Cannabis Control Board recently approved new rules around cannabis marketing and advertising in a bid to provide legal marijuana operators an advantage over illegal operators. The new rules, which are subject...more
Less than two months after the state unveiled several initiatives to crack down on illegal cannabis sellers, a group of New York City shop owners has filed a class-action lawsuit, claiming the heavy-handed tactics violate...more
Gov. Kathy Hochul has overhauled leadership at the state’s Office of Cannabis Management in an effort to speed up the licensing process, improve communication with applicants and licensees, and reaffirm the state’s commitment...more
Saddled with court challenges slowing the rollout of its legal cannabis program, New York now wants to move fast when it comes to the illegal marijuana market. Gov. Kathy Hochul recently unveiled several initiatives to...more
In a sharp rebuke to New York’s Cannabis Control Board, state Supreme Court judge Kevin R. Bryant dealt a blow to the adult-use cannabis industry when he issued a decision in Leafly Holdings, Inc. et al. v. NYS Office of...more
Finding a suitable location for a cannabis retail store is not easy, especially in New York City, where quality retail locations are scarce and expensive, and regulations are more robust than most other municipalities....more
A group of women-owned businesses hoping to obtain a retail or microbusiness permit to sell cannabis has asked a court to immediately stop New York state’s current licensing program for retail dispensaries and microbusinesses...more
On December 18, 2023, the day New York’s cannabis regulators wrapped up their initial cannabis licensing application period, the state was hit with yet another lawsuit seeking to halt the licensing of adult-use retail...more
A New York judge approved settling a lawsuit filed by a group of service-disabled veterans, granting the group a provisional license and paving the way for more than 400 provisional licensees to open marijuana dispensaries....more
New York is opening up its cannabis market to cultivator, processor, distributor, microbusiness and retail dispensary applicants beginning Oct. 4, a move that could finally spur significant sales, but one criticized by some...more
The Cannabis Regulatory Agency’s (CRA) Social Equity Program arises from a provision of the Michigan Regulation and Taxation of Marihuana Act (MRTMA) designed to promote and encourage participation in the cannabis industry by...more
A state Supreme Court Justice issued a stern ruling Aug. 18 criticizing the state’s legal cannabis program and stopping it from issuing new retail licenses. State Supreme Court Justice Kevin R. Bryant ruled a veterans...more
A group of four military veterans filed a lawsuit two weeks ago in New York State Supreme Court against the New York’s Office of Cannabis Management (“OCM”), claiming that the agency’s rules that prioritize applicants with...more
It is well known that between New York’s enactment of the Marihuana Regulation & Taxation Act (commonly known as the Cannabis Law) on March 31, 2021 and the slower than anticipated adoption of regulations for adult-use...more
Describing New York’s implementation of the 2021 Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act as “bumpy,” State Sen. Jeremy Cooney has proposed legislation to address “urgent issues” facing the state’s adult use and medical cannabis...more
On May 11, 2023, New York’s Cannabis Control Board voted to approve the revised adult-use cannabis regulations. Upon publication in the New York State Register, these draft regulations are subject to another 45-day public...more
Delays in rolling out New York retail cannabis dispensary licenses prompted one legislator to introduce a bill to allow the state’s struggling cannabis cultivators to sell directly to consumers. The Cannabis Crop Rescue...more
A New York-based coalition has accused the state’s Office of Cannabis Management and Cannabis Control Board of “unconstitutional overreach” in its management of the state’s legalized cannabis effort and asked a judge to...more
Call it a conundrum: the passing of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (“MRTA”) allowed New Yorkers 21 years or older to use recreational marijuana legally but provided no legal way to purchase it. The result was...more
Draft regulations to implement the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act MRTA have been published. Public comment is due by February 12, 2023. On December 14, 2022, the draft regulations to implement the Marijuana...more
Background On August 25, 2022, after weeks of promotion by the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), the application window has finally opened for adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses in the Empire State. ...more
To help New York cannabis industry entrepreneurs get their businesses off on the right foot, VS's New York team created an eight-part series of VS Insights to assist in navigating the path to applying for a New York cannabis...more
With the anticipation of federal marijuana legalization, the cannabis industry rang in 2021 with sky-high equity values and anticipated social justice reforms seemingly imminent. However, differing ideas regarding how to...more
The New York State Office of Cannabis Management hosted a “Get Ready, Get Set,” workshop to provide community members with vital information about the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) and the conditional adult use...more