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Good morning! It has been a busy week for New York cannabis insiders — a frank talk around a tribal cannabis bill, our New York City meetup event, cannabis PR, and so much more.

Let’s take a look at all the stories we published since Monday.



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Yesterday, we published a breaking story on the CAURD program’s status following a judicial order that will bar New York cannabis regulators from approving conditional dispensary licenses indefinitely.

However, according to New York State Supreme Court Judge Kevin Bryant’s decision, licensees who met all approvals before Aug. 7, 2023, will be allowed to open their stores. The order also states that the court may allow other CAURD dispensaries to open on a case-by-case basis, if state officials request permission from the judge.

A few days before this update — given the industry-shifting event that unfolded last week involving a lawsuit against the Office of Cannabis Management and the second pause on licenses — the state’s CAURD Coalition issued an urgent plea to Gov. Kathy Hochul to save the industry:

“We beg Gov. Hochul to consider the millions of New Yorkers with regards to the distribution of regulated cannabis. The Office of Cannabis Management had promised all 463 licensed applicants the opportunity to serve their communities safe and regulated cannabis, yet only 22 are currently operating at minimal capacity.”

Village of Homer Mayor Hal McCabe agreed in a guest column stating Gov. Hochul needs to call for an extraordinary session of the New York State legislature to codify the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary license into law. His guest column goes further to say that despite what many think, that kind of session is possible, as Hochul called for one just a week after she was sworn in as governor.

McCabe said he has always feared that “Big Cannabis” would dominate the state’s marketplace. He writes that his worries are becoming a reality if the state’s legislature doesn’t respond as soon as possible.

Timmie Elsner, a retired NYC housing court judge, also wrote a guest column listing possible challenges the OCM might face in the future. Elsner urges legislators to act fast because the stakes are “particularly high.”

From her perspective as a former judge, “the promise of the MRTA seems to be a fairy tale as the reality of a road to legalization filled with unpredictable stop and go moments and procedural delays becomes the norm.”

Despite the drama and uncertainty, our New York City meetup and networking event, which spotlighted legal marijuana on tribal land, went well.

More than 100 industry insiders gathered at Madame Mikette’s in Midtown Manhattan Tuesday evening to network, eat and learn.

Attorneys Matt Leonardo and Joseph Bondy, along with Akwesasne tribal members Lance White and Thunder Anderson, spoke about the tribal bill that would allow adult-use cultivators and processors to sell their cannabis to tribal nations, as well as cannabis culture on tribal lands, and current relations between the state and indigenous nations.

However, attorney and guest columnist Paula Collins dared not let us forget the War on Drugs is still alive and well.

Her latest column says the industry should pay attention to what’s happening with unlicensed shop inspections to prevent the same thing from happening in the licensed market.

Collins said raids can happen to licensed shops, too. In her words, “10-20 officers in SWAT regalia can roll up, crash your door, and toss your product – and they don’t even need probable cause or a warrant. They don’t even have to give their names and badge numbers.”

In preparation for the cannabis industry to pick back up, Jordan Isenstadt, a senior vice president at Marino PR, wrote a guest column that a public relations plan is an “absolute necessity” for entrepreneurs looking to thrive in New York.

“The unfolding saga of New York’s nascent cannabis industry is a testament to both its potential and its challenges,” Isenstadt said. “As the state’s cannabis rollout faces hurdles, setbacks, and a pace slower than anticipated, the importance of a targeted and authentic public relations strategy has never been more apparent.”

Earlier this week, we also continued our “People to Know,” “Women in cannabis” and “Ask me anything” series.

We met Joanne Wilson, who founded Gotham in New York City. The store, located at E. 3rd and Bowery, is a licensed Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary and is both a cannabis and cultural concept store.

Additionally, Stella Morrison talked about her journey from the newsroom to cannabis for our “Women in Cannabis” series, where she also dished her reasoning behind why women are so underrated in cannabis leadership roles.

Lastly, Jeffrey Hoffman continued discussions on hemp rules, federal law and Empire Cannabis Clubs in a new “Ask me anything about NY cannabis” segment.

That’s all for today, folks. Have a great weekend!