SCHENECTADY – With first marijuana retail sales in New York, dozens of community members attended a public forum on Wednesday to seek information on how to obtain a cannabis dispensary license and ask questions about state plans to compensate. those affected by the war on drugs.
About 75 people filled the McChesney Room of the Karen B. Johnson Library, where representatives from the state’s Office of Cannabis Management gave an overview of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) and they provided information on what people will need to apply for a conditional adult retail dispensary license.
The law, passed by lawmakers last year, legalized marijuana for adults 21 and older and set a framework for the cannabis industry to thrive. The legislation also removed records of those convicted of a marijuana-related crime and created the retail revenue tax fund that will fund education, treatment programs and grants for disproportionately affected communities by the war. against drugs.
Much of how the cannabis industry will work is yet to be determined, but the state is currently in the process of finalizing regulations for conditional retail licenses, which will essentially provide people “involved in justice” with experience. prior to a fully operational dispensary. using $ 200 million set aside as part of this year’s budget, according to Tahlil McGough, deputy director of legislative affairs at the CMO.
“The person who gets this license won’t have to look for a property, they won’t have to deal with an owner. They won’t have to build or furnish anything,” he said. “Basically they get a key and that’s your dispensary.”
McGough said the 150 conditional licenses that will be available represent just a fraction of the thousands of licenses the state expects to issue for cannabis-related companies. The conditional program, he said, was created to ensure that those affected by the war on drugs have a first chance to benefit from the legal cannabis market.
He added that the regulations for conditional licenses will be different from the other nine licenses that will be available under the MRTA and are expected to be completed by the end of the summer. The state’s first dispensaries are expected to open later this year, McGough said.
The state, earlier this year, began issuing conditional cultivation licenses after lawmakers passed an independent MRTA bill that allowed hemp farmers to be the first to grow marijuana crops that will be sold. at state dispensaries.
Under the proposed regulations, which are subject to change, a person who has been convicted or a marijuana-related offense or who was the child, spouse or guardian of someone who was before March 31, 2021, is eligible. for the conditional dispensary license, but only if they have had at least a 10% stake in a business that made a net profit for two years.
But several attendees questioned the requirements, noting that having prior business experience deprives the vast majority of people with marijuana convictions of rights and questioned what the state is doing to compensate others affected by the war on drugs.
“You’re not compensating anyone by doing this,” said Steven Morgan, a 54-year-old Schenectady resident. “The only person you’re compensating for is someone who qualifies for it.”
Morgan said a previous marijuana conviction when he was younger had affected him for half his life. Unable to secure a job because of his criminal record, he eventually got stuck in the system and spent decades in and out of prison.
During a prison sentence, Morgan said he was sentenced to one year in solitary confinement for smoking marijuana, which he said helped him stay calm. During an eight-month sentence for selling marijuana in 2019, Morgan said he missed the funeral of his mother, who died six weeks before his release.
“I couldn’t succeed because I already had strikes against me,” he said. “Marijuana turned into cocaine and cocaine turned into crack, which turned into weapons that turned into prison.”
Morgan believes the state should financially compensate those who were prosecuted for marijuana-related crimes when cannabis was illegal, noting that many who faced similar circumstances have no idea how to properly manage a business and address issues such as poverty as a result of their conviction.
“And the people who suffered?” He said. “After giving the 150 cards, are the New Yorkers dead?”
McGough, meanwhile, said the state estimates that between 300 and 500 people will be eligible for conditional licenses statewide and that the requirement for prior business experience, while limited, is designed to ensure that those who receive a conditional license have the knowledge. how about running a business.
“We just want to make sure you have the ability to do that,” he said.
McGough noted that those with marijuana convictions who are not eligible for a conditional license may still apply for another cannabis license to operate a cannabis-related business. He added that according to MRTA, 50% of licenses will be granted for social justice applications, or those with a marijuana-related conviction, which is more than other states that have legalized marijuana have done.
City Council President Marion Porterfield, who attended the forum along with board members Carl Williams and Carmel Patrick, said she was pleased to see that the event was well thought out. Asked about her thoughts on the social equity concerns that were raised, she said changes should be made at the state level.
“I think it’s probably not enough, but it’s more than it has ever been, so I should say it’s the beginning,” he said. “What I do appreciate is that they accept comments and allow people to contribute.”
Porterfield, who wanted the city to choose to allow retail dispensaries to address zoning guidelines, said the council will discuss more about MRTA when the final regulations are released. Retail sales involve a special tax of 4%, with the municipality where the sale takes place keeping 75% and the county 25%.
Elsewhere, Schenectady resident John Howard III said he was also concerned about what was being done to compensate those affected by the marijuana ban.
Howard, who attended the meeting to provide community members with information they were unable to attend, noted that those convicted of a drug-related offense do not always have the financial means to obtain a commercial license. cannabis and is concerned about how tax revenue will be distributed.
He added that he would like the state to develop a program that would compensate people affected by the war on drugs on a larger scale.
“If you really feel like you’re correcting a mistake or trying to repair or compensate people who have been negatively affected, do it in a general way,” he said.
Contact Journalist Chad Arnold at: 518-410-5117 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @ChadGArnold.
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