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Hal McCabe is the mayor of Homer, NY, and also the director of government relations for the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY). He answered eight simple questions for NY Cannabis Insider’s “People to know” series.
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What is your position and what do you/your company do in the cannabis space?
I’m the director of government relations for CANY (Cannabis Association of New York) and the mayor of the Village of Homer.
How long have you worked in the cannabis space?
Since 2019 when the office I worked for introduced the original CBD hemp bill, which we authored with the help of CANY (who were the NY State Cannabis Growers and Processors Association at the time) and have been working on the issue ever since.
What did you do before you were involved in the cannabis industry?
I’ve sort of had a lot of lives. I worked for an internet start-up called AOL, taught scuba diving, taught motorcycle racing, and owned a motorcycle shop. But eventually, I got back into politics, which I love … and hate. Mostly love.
But I’ve worked at every level of government, for nonprofits, and for the state and national Democratic Committees.
What led you to the cannabis industry?
Back in 2019, Joe Rossi from Park Strategies reached out to me to ask me to introduce him to Allan Gandelman. The three of us met, and that is where the idea of creating a cannabis association originated. I stayed involved in various ways, mostly through pro-bono consulting in order to try and help get the industry off the ground.
Do you have any advice for someone looking to get into the NY weed industry?
Realize that there is exponentially more to learn about this industry than you probably imagine. It can be overwhelming, especially when you are getting into the weeds (pun intended) on cultivation or processing.
What do you think the NY cannabis ecosystem will look like in five years?
My fear is that in five years, we will have a market that is dominated by Big Cannabis … and the small businesses will be bankrupt.
I unfortunately base this view on the direction that New York is headed, where we are now about to let the RO’s in after one year rather than three, and are not going to charge them the fee they are supposed to pay to enter. That is a chilling turn from social justice and equity straight to selling out to Wall St, and if this is the trend, in five years this market will be dominated by three to four huge players and small operations will be few and far between.
It’s an embarrassing abandonment of the key principles of our program here in New York State.
Do you use cannabis? If so, what’s your favorite method (flower, dabs, edibles, tinctures, etc.), and why?
I do. I prefer edibles just because it’s easier to control your portion, but I like all methods.
Who should contact you, and what’s the best method?