Governor Hochul evaluates cannabis management

By Blake Jackson

Governor Kathy Hochul has initiated an evaluation of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) to enhance the efficiency and long-term success of New York's legal cannabis industry. Commissioner Jeanette Moy from the Office of General Services will lead this initiative, supported by experienced state government leaders.

Hochul expressed confidence in Commissioner Moy's ability to identify areas needing improvement, establish standards, and kickstart the next phase of New York's legal cannabis market. Moy emphasized the governor's commitment to transparency and efficiency in state governance.

Chris Alexander, Executive Director of OCM, acknowledged the progress made in building an equitable cannabis market but stressed the need for further enhancements. He expressed confidence that Commissioner Moy's leadership would guide OCM to better serve operators and consumers while ensuring access and opportunity in the regulated market.

Commissioner Moy will conduct a comprehensive assessment of OCM's organization during a minimum 30-day period. Goals include reviewing the organizational structure, processes, and systems to improve license processing times and application-to-opening timeframes for cannabis retailers and businesses.

Key objectives include developing performance metrics and an executive-level licensing dashboard to provide timely updates to the Executive Chamber. Moy aims to identify and implement policy, procedure, and regulatory changes to streamline the licensing process and simplify application reviews for prospective licensees.

Additionally, Moy plans to create three-month and six-month action plans with organizational change initiatives to enhance agency functions and establish a world-class licensing and regulatory agency for New York's cannabis industry.

Moy will leverage resources from the Office of General Services, the Office of Information Technology Services, and other state agencies to develop systems and dashboards. OCM leadership and staff will collaborate with Moy's team to facilitate the assessment process and drive improvements.

Following the initial 30-day assessment period, the potential for external consulting may be explored to support a longer-duration phase of the effort.

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