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New York, June 27, 2023 – PRESS RELEASE – On Wednesday, June 28, at noon, a diverse group of New Yorkers harmed by the state’s failure to realize the equity and economic promise of the 2021 Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) will call on Gov. Kathy Hochul to mandate that cannabis regulators follow the law as written.
Also at the rally, a digital sign highlighting New York’s failure to establish a truly viable and equitable cannabis market will be unveiled.
Led by the Rev. Kirsten John Foy, founder, president, and CEO of The Arc of Justice and spokesman for the Coalition for Access to Regulated & Safe Cannabis (CARSC); and social justice activist Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; rally participants will gather at the governor’s Manhattan office at 633 3rd Ave.
Attendees will demand that Hochul require the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) to immediately open the adult-use license application process to facilitate a safe, equitable and economically viable program.
“OCM’s failure to follow the law has resulted in a bungled rollout of the adult-use market that is most negatively impacting the very same individuals that regulators say they most want to benefit,” Foy said.
“Communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs are being robbed of millions of dollars in tax revenue, farmers with nowhere to sell their crops are watching their investment rot, and justice involved licensees promised funding and real estate assistance are getting the runaround, patients are being denied access to life-changing products,” he said. “Meanwhile, the illicit market is booming. It’s time for the governor to step in and fix this problem before it’s too late.”
RELATED: ‘The Lost Year’: New York’s Adult-Use Cannabis Industry Grapples With Sluggish Rollout
Members of priority classes listed in the MRTA—including minority and women-owned businesses, distressed farmers, service-disabled veterans, and individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition—are being shut out of the cannabis market due to the OCM’s ill-conceived policies.
These entrepreneurs, as well as members of New York’s medical cannabis industry, stand ready to serve adult-use consumers and patients by opening dispensaries statewide where growers could sell regulated, tested, and high-quality products—if only the state would follow the law.
WHO: Rev. Kirsten John Foy, Arc of Justice and Coalition for Access to Regulated & Safe Cannabis (CARSC); Activist Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Community Advocates; CAURD licensees; Black Business Owners.
WHAT: Rally to save the cannabis industry, demand the Hochul administration implement the MRTA as written.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 28, at 12 p.m.
WHERE: Outside Gov. Kathy Hochul’s office, 633 3rd Ave., Manhattan, NY, 10017
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