The Gentleman’s Factory welcomed New York state former State Representative, Tremaine Wright. Tremaine serves as the Chair of the New York State Cannabis Control Board. She sat down with The Gentlemen’s Factory to discuss New York’s new cannabis legalization and what that means for the state.
For decades non-white citizens have been targeted and disenfranchised because of repressive cannabis prohibition both federally and in the State of New York. Even after serving their time, these citizens are saddled with the stigma of a criminal conviction for the most benign of offenses. Tremaine explained that with legalization, there also existed a need to repair and restore those affected by cannabis prohibition.
She explains that those convicted of a cannabis related crime would automatically have their records expunged, and also have priority access to licensure. 40% of the tax revenue will be reinvested into communities that were also harmed.
As of this writing, there are only 2 licensed dispensaries in the Five boroughs, Smacked and Housing Works. This is despite their being many places where it is available for sale throughout the city. These are being addressed and regulations are being developed to better handle the various situations that do and can exist. There’s an effort put on how marketing will be done so that it doesn’t encourage use among youth. Tremaine emphasizes that we should get familiar with the draft regulation available online.
While outdoor grows are legal, indoor grows are not. This, however, may change. This round of cannabis grows was used as a testing ground. There is a focus on allowing access to this industry to both small and large players. Chairperson Wright shared a wealth of valuable information and encouraged everyone to contact her office.
