By Blake Jackson
New York's legal weed farmers are caught in a sticky situation – millions of dollars worth of unsold cannabis and a governor's veto barring their lifeline. The Cannabis Crop Rescue Act, designed to let them sell surplus to tribal retailers, met its demise, leaving farmers financially stranded.
Championed by Senators Hinchey and Lupardo, the bill aimed to ease the burden of overflowing warehouses. With only 23 dispensaries statewide compared to over 200 desperate farmers, a quarter-million pounds of cannabis is collecting dust. The legislation, set to expire at year's end anyway, offered a temporary hope dashed by Governor Hochul's pen.
"Financially ruined" farmers face a cruel paradox. They leveraged everything to cultivate legal crops, only to be stranded by regulatory delays and legal hurdles plaguing the nascent market. Hinchey and Lupardo vowed continued support, highlighting the "steep price" cultivators pay for system glitches.
The growing legislation in the cannabis industry comes as President Joe Biden issued a proclamation on Friday pardoning certain marijuana offenses, building on his earlier action from last year on the issue.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jessicahyde
Categories: New York, Crops