Senate Finance Committee advances Jessica Garcia to chair New York Cannabis Control Board

The New York State Senate Finance Committee on June 6 advanced Jessica Garcia, Gov. Kathy Hochul’s nominee to serve as chair of the Cannabis Control Board, after a confirmation hearing in which members pressed Garcia on social equity goals, the illicit cannabis market and support for cultivators and medical patients.

Garcia, the governor’s appointee to the Cannabis Control Board since October 2021, told the committee she supports an industry “rooted in equity, economic opportunity, and public health,” and said she would work with agency staff and board members to prioritize stability and enforcement if confirmed as chair.

The nomination hearing focused on several recurring concerns. Senators asked how the board would protect and expand social-equity participation created under the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA); what the board would do to curb an extensive illicit retail market; how to better integrate and support farmers, cultivators and processors; and how to preserve access for medical cannabis patients.

Garcia described the board’s recent progress and the market’s scale while stressing ongoing challenges. “It’s no small feat that we now have close to 400 adult-use cannabis stores open across the state,” she said, adding that the board had approved “over 1,700 licenses” and that sales in four months of the year were approaching half a billion dollars. She said 52% of adult‑use licenses went to equity applicants and that staff are focused on rolling out regulatory and programmatic supports for equity licensees and cultivators.

Senators pressed Garcia on specifics. Senator Jeremy Cooney, chair of a Senate subcommittee on cannabis, emphasized the MRTA’s social-equity aims and asked how Garcia as chair would “drive forward those MRTA-related social equity goals.” Garcia said equity remained “a key priority” across licensing, proximity protections and post‑licensure supports, and highlighted education and regulatory provisions intended to help equity applicants succeed.

Agriculture concerns featured prominently. Sen. Michelle Hinchey, chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and other senators said the industry depends on a local, viable cultivation sector and pressed Garcia on steps to ensure farmers can sell into the legal market rather than the illicit market. Garcia said the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) was launching a seed‑to‑sale tracking system by year’s end, had devoted $250,000 to help cultivators with tagging costs, and was implementing a newly authorized Grower Showcase to create more market opportunities for farmers. She said tax reforms enacted by the Legislature had eased some burdens on growers.

On enforcement of illegal storefronts, senators described visible illicit retail activity, especially in New York City, and asked whether stronger criminal penalties were needed. Garcia said enforcement was a top priority and credited recent changes that increased OCM enforcement capacity and municipal involvement. She said the agency had staffed up and assigned personnel to customer service and communications to improve responsiveness to licensees and members of the public.

Several senators raised patient access to medical cannabis and practitioner education. Sen. Cooney and others urged that registered organizations be required to devote resources to the medical market and that the board pursue reciprocity and clinician education to broaden patient access. Garcia said she planned to prioritize medical program stability and increase practitioner and patient outreach.

Members also asked about agency culture, staff capacity and collaboration between the board and OCM executive staff. Garcia described recent conversations with OCM leadership and said she would work to “break down silos,” increase communication, and set clearer priorities between the board and agency staff.

The committee proceeded to a voice vote. Committee members verbally recorded “Aye” and the chair reported there were no recorded “no” votes; the committee’s paper roll showed two members filed “without recommendation.” The committee’s affirmative vote moves Garcia’s nomination to the Senate floor for further consideration.

Votes at a glance: Jessica Garcia — motion to advance nominee carried by committee voice vote; no recorded “no” on the floor of the hearing; two committee members filed “without recommendation” on the committee roll. (Detailed member-level vote records were recorded on the committee’s paper roll and were not read into the transcript.)

Garcia thanked the senators and said she looked forward to working with the Legislature on any matters requiring statutory change.