Just when you thought the state Office of Cannabis Management might have moved past the absurdities and embarrassments of its retail marijuana rollout, here comes a story of ineptitude that may make you wonder what officials were smoking.
More than 150 cannabis dispensaries statewide, regulators have admitted, may have to move because they were allowed to open closer to schools than is allowed by law. The issue is in the calculation: Office of Cannabis Management measured the distance from the entrance of the potential dispensary to the entrance of a school, when it should have measured to the school's property line.
While it's important, certainly, to follow the law as written, the mistake means shops such as The People's Joint in downtown Schenectady are operating within the 500-foot buffer zone, making them effectively illegal and unable to renew their licenses upon expiration at their existing locations.
The owner of the Schenectady dispensary, Danny Taylor, is understandably worried about the future of his business and about repaying the $1.5 million loan needed to get it running. The state's ineptitude is all the more staggering when you learn that the Dormitory Authority and Office of Cannabis Management chose and secured the location for Mr. Taylor, with the New York Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund as the lessee on the storefront's 10-year rental agreement.
That's among the reasons why lawmakers and Gov. Kathy Hochul must take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that dispensary owners aren't harmed by what appears to be a misreading of the statute. If a special session is what's required to either change the law or grandfather in existing shops, then members of the nation's highest-paid Legislature should return to Albany as quickly as possible.
It didn't need to come to that. According to state Sen. Liz Krueger, who is a member of the Senate’s Cannabis Subcommittee, administration officials were aware of the problem months ago and could have asked lawmakers for a fix during the legislative session that ended in June.
It isn't clear why they didn't. But, again, Mr. Taylor and other dispensary owners must not be harmed by the administration's inaction. In many cases, they have poured their lives and their money into building a clientele at their current locations, and being forced to move could be devastating.
A silver lining can be found in the Office of Cannabis Management's response to the problem. Acting Executive Director Felicia Reid told affected businesses she is "incredibly sorry" for the mistake, a marked shift from the imperiousness that characterized agency operations under prior leadership, and Office of Cannabis Management has already set aside $15 million to help affected applicants find new locations.
It is encouraging that the agency appreciates the seriousness of the situation and is prepared to help. Now, Ms. Hochul and lawmakers must find a solution.
