A New York legislator has introduced a bill that would allow cannabis farmers to begin growing crops.
On Friday, July 16, Senator Jeremy Cooney (D) introduced Senate Bill 7295, which would establish an adult-use cultivator provisional license.
Senator Cooney co-chairs the Marijuana Task Force of the Black Puerto Rican Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus.
Coomey is also the chair of the Cities II Committee in the New York Senate.
Senate Bill 7295 would enable farmers to plant, harvest, and sell cannabis to New York retailers while the Office of Cannabis Management works to become fully operational.
Senator Cooney says the legislation will enable New York cannabis farmers to start planting seeds and allow legalization’s economic benefits to begin before another growing season passes.
“We passed adult-use recreational marijuana with the promise of investing in communities most negatively impacted by the failed War on Drugs,” says Senator Cooney. “This bill allows us to start fulfilling that promise by creating a supply chain of products for retailers in this new economy.”
Senate Bill 7295 would establish a provisional infrastructure allowing cannabis farmers to plant seeds in the next growing season, expediting the 2022 growing season’s benefits.
Under the bill, adult-use cannabis cultivators would receive provisional licenses if a licensing process has not been created and implemented by January 1, 2022.
The provisional licenses would become effective no later than March 1, 2022.
Under the bill, the yet-to-be-formed state Cannabis Control Board would determine an expiration date for the provisional licenses.
The bill also states that if there is no process for issuing standard or provisional adult-use cultivation licenses by January 1, 2022, the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets must establish and provide them within 30 days.
Upon its passage, Senate Bill 7295 would take effect immediately.
