New York lawmakers approved two officials for the state’s adult-use cannabis program in a special session this week, WHAM reports.
Former Democratic Assemblywoman Termaine Wright was approved as chair of the Cannabis Control Board and criminal justice reform advocate Christopher Alexander will become the Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management, which will set the rules and regulations for growers and retailers in the cannabis space.
Both appointees were nominated by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), who recently ascended to the office following the resignation of disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
New York state Sen. Jeremy Cooney—who is a member of the Marijuana Task Force—said in the report that the confirmations are an important step towards licensing growers and other entrepreneurs to spearhead the new industry.
“They’re anxious. They want a license. They want to find out the timetable and all of that can start as soon as we have leadership at the state level. We have to get this right. We are committed to getting it right. We believe that Chris Alexander and Tremaine Wright are the people to move us in that direction.” — Sen. Cooney, via WHAM
With the appointments, New York’s cannabis industry is on track to begin its licensing process sometime next year.
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