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State cannabis regulators outline licensing gains, warn illicit market still dominates
Summary
Acting director of New York's Office of Cannabis Management told lawmakers the agency has reduced licensing backlogs and increased approvals but warned that most retail sales remain illicit and urged more enforcement, staffing and statutory fixes to support social-equity licensees and patients.
Acting Director Felicia Reid told the joint fiscal committees that the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has reorganized licensing and increased approvals since she took the job, but cautioned that illegal sales still account for the majority of the market.
"By late summer of last year, OCM coordinated a light touch needs assessment of our people, processes, and technology," Reid said, summarizing a series of operational changes. "We have hired nearly 50 new staff ... and we welcome Governor Hochul's proposed $5,000,000 to support additional hiring and licensing, compliance, enforcement, and legal."
The OCM chief said the agency has grown its licensing staff, implemented a single point of contact for applicants, and doubled the licensing team to address long delays. Reid said those steps helped the office “move almost 193% more licenses through to the cannabis control board for approval” after…
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