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Reuben McDaniel, who leads a state agency that is instrumental in setting up New York’s legal cannabis industry, announced on Thursday that he’s stepping down from his position on the state’s Cannabis Control Board.
He made the announcement at the end of a tense board meeting on Thursday — in which cannabis growers criticized state officials for the industry’s slow rollout. The departure was first reported on Wednesday night by The City.
McDaniel will retain his position as president and CEO of the New York State Dormitory Authority, the agency that has been tasked with securing real estate for legal cannabis retail shops and setting up a social equity fund to make loans to the first retail licensees. New York’s first legal shops are run by people or family members of people whose lives were affected by marijuana prohibition.
The Cannabis Association of New York, which represents entrepreneurs in the legal industry, has described McDaniel’s dual positions — head of the Dormitory Authority and Cannabis Control Board member — as a conflict of interest. Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed McDaniel to the board in September 2021. He joined the Dormitory Authority two years earlier during the Cuomo administration.
“I am proud to have played a role in building a new industry,” McDaniel said without citing a reason for why he was stepping down. [Read More @ The Gothamist]
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