Officials in New York have voted in favor of rules changes that allow marijuana farmers markets to operate throughout the state, while also almost doubling the number of provisional licenses for marijuana retail outlets.
Today the state Cannabis Control Board (CCB) passed a handful of new rules, including the above-mentioned changes allowing for marijuana farmers markets. The Board also voted to regulate marijuana research and ban the sale of delta-8 THC, and they approved 212 new provisional retail licenses (bringing the state total to 463).
Specifically the Board is referring to marijuana farmers markets as “Cannabis Grower’s Showcases” where growers and retailers can “bring their product to market and allow licensees to sell such products simultaneously.” To be considered a showcase there must be at least three growers and one licensed retail outlet.
The law allows marijuana growers and retailers to hold their own standalone farmers markets, while also allowing them to establish themselves at other events such as fairs and concerts.
“The showcases will offer several benefits, including providing our consumers access to legal regulated cannabis in places which have limited or don’t yet currently have access to storefront sales,” said OCM Director of Policy John Kagia. “They’ll drive new revenue opportunities for our cultivators who are the anchors of our supply chain, and we’ve certainly heard from our cultivators [about] the urgency of a program like this to expand the retail sales.”
New York legalized recreational marijuana in 2021, but a slow rollout of the program means that only around 20 licensed marijuana stores are currently open throughout a state with a population of almost 8.5 million.
