New York’s “Cannabis Crop Rescue Act” has been delivered to Governor Kathy Hochul.
Senate Bill 7295 was approved by the New York Senate earlier this year in a 53 to 8 vote, followed by approval in the Assembly 134 to 6. Yesterday the measure was officially delivered to Governor Hochul, giving her 10 days to decide whether or not to sign it into law, veto it or allow it to become law without a signature. If Governor Hochul was to veto the measure, the Legislature could override it with a two-thirds majority.
The proposed law would allow recreational marijuana cultivators and processors “to sell tested, packaged, and sealed cannabis products or biomass to a cannabis dispensing facility licensed or permitted by a tribal nation for retail sale.”
Tribal nations would “not be subject to or limited by aggregate sales or consumption limits otherwise provided for in this chapter”.
The legislation also states that “Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, a conditional adult-use cultivator or processor licensee shall be authorized to sell tested, packaged and sealed cannabis products directly to consumers; provided that for purposes of this subdivision consumer shall mean an authorized representative of a tribal nation.”
Explaining the bill’s purpose, the bill’s authors state that “Due to a variety of circumstances beyond the control of New York’s cannabis farmers, many licensees cannot afford to process their cannabis or sell their finished products. As a result, their 2022 crops are losing value while in storage due to diminished potency, color and aroma. Without sales, many are unable to plant a crop for the upcoming growing season, and are in severe financial stress.”
