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We’re sliding into the dog days of summer, and staying in the air conditioning as much as possible while keeping busy following all the news in New York cannabis. Let’s take a look at the stories we covered last week.
The Office of Cannabis Management hosted a webinar about Cannabis Growers Showcases this week, during which they went over some of the rules and restrictions for the events. Among the rules outlined in the hour-long meeting, showcase organizers will have to adhere to the same buffer zones as brick-and-mortar dispensaries, and may only sell flower products at a 50% mark-up from wholesale prices.
Cultivators, CAURDs and other stakeholders who talked to NY Cannabis Insider after the meeting said they thought the rules were strict, but doable. Some disagreed with the mark-up rule, and noted how much tighter the showcase rules were than events at which alcohol is served. However, they seemed generally happy with the opportunity growers showcases present.
Earlier in the week, we talked to three cultivators who were part of the inaugural cohort of New York’s Cannabis Compliance Training & Mentorship Program. A few months after the first cohort completed the 10-week curriculum, participants see it as a mixed bag.
The program taught students important elements of running a compliant marijuana business in New York, but some graduates say that the lack of clarity around whether completing the program will make them any more likely to get a license puts its value into question.
We checked in with Osbert Orduña, CEO of The Cannabis Place, which has been delivering weed throughout the New York City metro area and plans to open a brick-and-mortar dispensary in Queens.
Orduña spoke with NY Cannabis Insider about delivery vs. brick-and-mortar in New York City, what products are selling best among The Cannabis Place’s customers and what the city’s legal weed retail market might look like in the future.
Reporter Wes Parnell contributed a story about Lehman College and the New York CAURD Coalition teaming up to offer a cannabis education and training workshop. The two parties announced a new social equity roundtable program aimed at bringing everyday New Yorkers interested in the cannabis industry closer to the legal fold.
The workshop will be held on August 3 and will admit 50 applicants free of charge, Parnell wrote. It’s designed to teach candidates interested in joining the cannabis workforce practical job skills such as bud-tending, accounting basics, and which part of the supply chain could match their interests.
Frequent NY Cannabis Insider contributor Paula Collins, a tax attorney dedicated to the cannabis industry and a co-founder of the NY Consortium of Cannabis Accountants, wrote a guest column about the confusing mixture of cannabis enforcement laws in New York.
On Monday, we ran a story by reporter Mel Hyman that took a look at Yonkers – the state’s third-largest city – and why officials there can’t seem to get a handle on the number of illicit weed shops there.
Continuing our “NY’s women in cannabis” series, we ran a profile on Sarah Stretchberry, the COO of ApptitudePlus, a cannabis consulting and advisory firm.
We also added a new entry to our “People to know in NY cannabis” series: Khari Edwards, AYR Wellness’ head of corporate and social responsibility.
Lastly, we posted attorney Jeffrey Hoffman’s latest Ask Me Anything segment, in which he answered questions about Networking recommendations, Growers’ Showcase, and more.
Have a great weekend everyone, we’ll be back with plenty more next week.