NY's first annual weed awards to launch in Poughkeepsie
BYOB (Bring Your Own Bong): Cannastock to offer insight, VIP pre-rolls as local legal dispensaries wait their turn
story by niki@hvny.info
Cannabis in New York State has been legal for medical purposes since 2016, and recreationally since the spring of 2021. Two years later, there are still no legal places to buy marijuana here in the Hudson Valley as the state’s cannabis board slowly rolls out licenses to those “those most impacted by the enforcement of the prohibition of cannabis or nonprofit organizations whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated.”
Despite there being no legal dispensaries open here in the Hudson Valley just yet, this Saturday, industry professionals and canna-conscious consumers will join together for pot-related workshops, panels, vendors, live music, and, of course, munchies at Cannastock – a day-long, cannabis consumption-friendly festival taking place at the MJN Convention Center in Poughkeepsie on Saturday, May 13, 2023 from 1-6pm.
Tickets for Cannastock are $35.72 general admission, or $71.68 VIP (currently sold out, though a waiting list is available. VIP tickets include early entry at noon, snacks, soft drink, and a pre-roll in a Cannastock swag bag). cannastockny.com/buy-tickets. Ages 21 and up only.
There will be a dedicated consumption area outdoors for those who partake, and a separate designated outdoor area for cigarette smoking. But no, there will not be cannabis available to purchase at Cannastock: “NYS does not permit it at this time but we are hoping it will change in the near future.” Any attendees found to be selling any branded or unbranded cannabis products will be immediately asked to leave the event and the property. You may, though, bring your own rolling papers, bongs, etc., according to organizers: cannastockny.com/faqs
First-ever weed awards to launch at Cannastock
Best sungrown flower? Edibles? Solventless concentrates? Find out who’s got the best bud in town during the launch of New York State’s first annual Excelsior Cup at Cannastock this Saturday.
Fifteen judges – “connoisseurs of cannabis who are advocates, industry troubadours, entertainers and social impact leaders,” according to event organizers – will make up the esteemed panel. All products entered into the competition must be produced by a New York-licensed cultivator or manufacturer and the product must be tested for New York compliance.
The Excelsior Cup awards ceremony will officially take place during Cannastock’s Fall celebration (date TBA).
Looking for work in the weed industry?
As part of Cannastock, the New York State Department of Labor will offer a presentation on writing a resume for the cannabis industry job market, and offer one-on-one assistance with attendees to work on their individual resumes: cannastockny.com/workshops
Tamika Dunkley from Seasoned Gives & JoJo Simmons and Kris Karl from 3isfor will also speak about how they are working to bridge the gap from the traditional market to the legal market during a special panel discussion, followed by a panel on creating a cannabis brand from raw material to packaging.
Cool, but where’s the (legal) weed?*
In early April, the the New York State Cannabis Control Board provisionally approved 99 more Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses, increasing New York’s total provisional retail-dispensary licenses to 165. The licenses included four for Western New York, one for Central New York, five for Mid-Hudson, and three for Brooklyn, marking the first provisional licenses to be issued in these regions.
To be eligible for a license to open a dispensary, “applicants themselves were required to either have had a cannabis conviction or be the family member of someone who has and have owned a profitable business. Nonprofits were eligible if they had a history of serving current or formerly incarcerated individuals, including creating vocational opportunities for them; have at least one justice-involved board member; at least five full-time employees; and have operated a social enterprise that had net assets or profit for at least two years.”
The board notes that for the past 30 years, Black individuals in New York have been 15 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis-related offenses than their white counterparts. For Latinos, it was 8 times more likely.
“The market we’re building will support equity applicants to ensure they’re not only ready to open a business, but also positioned for the type of long-term success that builds generational wealth,” Tremaine Wright, the chair of the state’s cannabis control board. “As the industry evolves, it will generate new resources for our communities and our schools, and I look forward to seeing those resources reinvested and the transformation they will help support.
Find a dispensary in New York State: https://cannabis.ny.gov/dispensary-location-verification
*Why is legal weed important? Yes, there are black market weed shops currently operating in the Hudson Valley, but there are no regulations, oversight or information on what these shops are selling, what the products contain, where the product comes from, and there is no tax revenue generated and going back into our communities. Have patience, pot patients: The state permit system serves as an “equity-first supply chain, to bring safer cannabis products onto the shelves of New York’s first adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries.”
NYS Cannabis Control Board upcoming meeting + public comment
The New York State Cannabis Control Board, which is the approval and oversight division of the Office of Cannabis Management responsible for approving the framework for the state’s cannabis industry, including issuing applications and licenses, will meet this Thursday, May 11, 2023 at 11am at SUNY Morrisville.
Public comment will be allowed during a designated comment period as part of this meeting. Participating individuals should indicate their desire to participate in public comment when pre- registering and/or checking in prior to the meeting. Individuals must limit their remarks to two minutes and remarks should be related to specific agenda items. Additional comments may be submitted online using the public comment form below. Online submissions will be part of the official record of the meeting and be documented in the meeting minutes. All online comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Monday, May 15, 2023.
Submit Written Public Comment for Control Board Meeting
