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This guest column is from Cam Nichols, founder of InTegridy Farms in Rotterdam. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of NY Cannabis Insider.
When it was announced that New York would legalize cannabis use, I remember an air of excitement. Everyone I knew who loved the plant still felt a slight discomfort about it publicly, but the inherent shame that so many associated with cannabis use began to lift.
We started to feel like just another part of the family, or friend group, or society â rather than these âoutcasts.â Fast-forward to Aug. 26, 2023, and we were sitting in a plaza in Brooklyn, and being a cannabis consumer was the norm rather than the exception. It was a place where people of all different backgrounds got together and shared only one true common denominator across the board, the love for cannabis and/or the industry.
That event was special. The Revelry Block Party at Restoration Plaza in Brooklyn really highlighted what I believe to be the most important aspect of the beauty of this industry as it is currently operating. There was a massive sense of community among individuals who again represented so many backgrounds and histories but were brought together by this passion for one common thing, and were finally able to celebrate that out in the open here in New York State.
Every courthouse event I went to, I didnât see 100+ individual people. I saw a family (which is ironic, because later an incredible human intending to open a dispensary in Albany took me under her wing and explained to me how they were a âfamilyâ).
Christine Richardson proceeded to invite me out to lunch, and we developed a pretty good working relationship that I have never found in corporate America. This gave me so much hope. I saw an industry that truly operated like a family. An industry that operated on mutual respect and a sense of loyalty, rather than corporate politics and cut-throat tactics. We stayed in touch and still do to bounce industry things off one another. She also picked me out of the crowd at the second hearing and invited me to tour some farms. She is truly just a warm and kind soul. I am grateful for her and her friendship, and for that reason I consider her a personal hero within this industry. âEach one â Teach oneâ
At the second hearing, I ran into Shanduke McPhatter. I had done some research on him after a quick Instagram conversation, and really admired what Shanduke stood for. Although he had a troubled past by his own admission, he decided to take his lifeâs work and turn it into a nonprofit to help local children find a path to a better life. His nonprofit organization still hasnât received a dispensary license, which is a whole other discussion. Point being the passion and reasoning behind Shandukeâs aspirations for a dispensary are nothing short of incredible and heartwarming. He truly is a local hero to his community. THAT is someone who deserves to open a dispensary and help spread that generational wealth throughout their community.
At the same hearing, I also met another entrepreneur who will remain unnamed. We didnât have a ton of time to go into his history, but I could sense a man who wanted nothing other than to provide for his family and create generational wealth through legitimate means to provide for his daughter. A recent Instagram post solidified my thoughts on him. In the post, he seemed to admit that he has learned many lessons in his life, some that maybe he wished he didnât have to learn. Lessons he wants to protect his daughter and other children in their community from having to learn by helping that same local community come up. Again, another local hero.
Coss Marte. I havenât chatted personally with Coss, but I understand his mission and I admire it. Convicted felons can have a tough time finding employment after prison, and Coss is trying to give those disadvantaged individuals a way back into the system that cast them out. A leg up with a chance to earn a reasonable income and work your way back into society.
I have heard so many stories like this, and I believe that getting each personâs story out there would be nothing but beneficial. I believe in all of the people I listed earlier, and I believe in the CAURD program as a whole. I wish I could just list off every single person that has met me with nothing but warmth, even as they are literally having their livelihoods dragged through the mud on a daily basis. I do not understand how, but I applaud the way these individuals have maintained their public composure while still radiating positivity and kindness to others.
This extends to brands as well. I would be doing some a disservice if I didnât also recognize the loyalty there in this industry. The kind of collaboration taking place among small business brands is incredible. Colin over at 7Seaz (@7seazco) and HeadyTree (@HeadyTree) have also been incredible teachers. Both have shown nothing but kindness and being so willing to teach and pass on knowledge Even some larger brands have been nothing but kind in my experience in this industry, but Rove is an incredibly involved brand within the cannabis community.
They have all helped me significantly in my personal journey, but have also really made an effort to engage with the community. That is not normal corporate cannabis.
The farmers markets demonstrate this perfectly. We have processors, cultivators, and several brands all attending and running the same events in collaboration. I do not believe that will be the case if we allow big cannabis to enter this market before the social dynamic of the industry has a chance to develop.
Where else are you going to find that? Where else can you have that sense of loyalty and comradery? Corporate America is ruining this country. Look at the songs that are hitting #1, and it demonstrates this exact point.
One other point I wanted to bring up and make super clear, because I donât think this is understood: This is the definition of corruption and corporate greed. These lawsuits are stopping the market from opening up at the intended rate, creating surpluses of product. This is causing pain to local farmers who were promised the âGreen Rushâ and are now sitting on tons of product that they are unable to sell because the market is so skinny with so few dispensaries open and operating. This is bottlenecking the supply chain.
This also means that price competition will eventually need to happen amongst all smaller brands, processors, growers, and distributors to compete with the larger brands entering the market. This will lead to a consolidation of power in the cannabis industry, and only the players with the largest amounts of money will be able to survive (MSOs and massive state players, or brands that partnered with very large state players).
The state promised these individuals a chance, and many of them took significant action with their own money to begin creating their dream. That chance is now seeming to fade from reality, and many of these individuals just no longer have the energy. It is heartbreaking to see. It is also not just these individualsâ finances that are at play, it is YOUR tax dollars. These programs were funded through your tax dollars, and there is fear the programs will not survive without your help, and the true reason it is all happening is simple. Corporate Greed.
TLDR: All of the smaller businesses that started with people investing their life savings will likely be priced out of the market because the first chance they were promised was a complete flop and larger brands will come in and work with larger processors and drop the prices, making it incredibly difficult to be profitable.
Please come help us protest for the rights of these individuals who have invested so much time and personal money, along with your tax dollars.
Help us tell Corporate America, enough is enough and this is our industry to have for now. These tax dollars are going back into OUR communities.
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Tuesday, September 12, 2023 @ 10:15 A.M.
Empire State Plaza Convention Center
Meeting rooms 2 & 3
Albany, NY 12242
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