NYC Council to weigh awareness campaign on illicit Weed sales
The New York City Council will hear arguments on a bill Wednesday that would create an awareness campaign on the dangers of buying cannabis products from unlicensed sellers.
The bill comes at a time of ongoing chaos in the state’s recreational marijuana market which has had numerous setbacks since New York legalized weed in 2021. Among the issues plaguing the system is the proliferation of unlicensed and unregulated pot retailers.
Intro 995 would require the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to collaborate with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection to implement the campaign, which would especially target minors and young adults to educate them about the risks of buying unregulated and illegal cannabis products.
Some of those products are known to contain synthetic cannabinoids like K2 and Spice, which can affect the brain much more powerfully than real marijuana and can come with harmful side effects.
Sponsored by Councilmember Julie Menin with 35 co-sponsors, the bill is another attempt by the city to regulate its burgeoning marijuana industry and steer consumers away from unlicensed sellers.
Meanwhile, hundreds of licensed retailers who had been preparing to open for business were blocked from doing so last month by a state judge. Only 30 out of 400 would-be sellers made the current list to be allowed to proceed with their plans.
As part of Wednesday’s hearing, the City Council will hear arguments from the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, representatives of business and trade organizations and other interested parties.
