NEW YORK — Marijuana can be legally sold at festivals and other events in New York, according to a measure approved Wednesday by state regulators, after growers complained there are too few dispensaries to sell what they grow.
The initiative approved by the Cannabis Control Board will allow three or more growers to partner with retailers to sell to the consumer outside of dispensaries at locally sanctioned adult events.
Partnerships can also include a processor, who will be able to sell products like groceries and vape cartridges.
Municipal approval will be required.
New York pot growers have said they went into this growing season still hoarding marijuana from last year because the state has been opening stores too slowly. Twenty licensed retailers are currently open across the state and more than 40 more are in development, according to regulators.
“Certainly, we hear from our growers the urgency of a program like this to expand their retail opportunities,” said John Kagia, a senior state marijuana policy official.
Officials said the measure will also give consumers legal access to marijuana in areas that do not have dispensaries.
The initiative is among a series of moves by regulators to shore up the state’s fledgling recreational marijuana market. They have also begun to crack down on unlicensed operations that compete with honest stores, especially in New York City.
2023-07-20 03:03:41
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