Part One: High Hopes

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In this special two-part series Herb speaks with former NYS Office of Cannabis Management colleagues – Aaron Ghitelman, Benjamin Sheridan, and Matthew Greenberg. The group holds nothing back in a wide-ranging discussion reviewing events from enactment of the NYS Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act on March 31, 2021, through the following three years. In a conversation sure to raise eyebrows, this group brings the listener into the Office of Cannabis Management from the start of the agency until Executive Director Christopher Alexander’s resignation in May of 2024. 

Further Reading:

2021

• New York Legalizes Recreational Marijuana, Tying Move to Racial Equity
• New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (2021)
• Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigns over sexual harassment allegations

2022

• Governor Hochul Announces The Office of Cannabis Management Seeding Opportunity Initiative
• New York Governor Announces ‘Seeding Opportunity Initiative’ to Promote Social Equity in State’s Adult-Use Cannabis Market
• OCM Releases Cannabis Delivery Guidance

2023

• Housing Works to Open 1st Legal Cannabis Dispensary in New York State December 29
• CAURD Social Equity Investment Fund Program FAQ
• NY Restarts Cannabis CAURD Program
• Cannabis Showcases are ‘a Lifeline’ for New York Farmers Grappling with Glut

2024

• How NY's Cannabis Grower’s Showcase Became An Unlikely Success
• May 2024 - OCM Assessment Final Report
• Cannabis Agency Head out Following Bombshell Report
• New York Cannabis Chief Resigns After Criticism from H

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