Officials in several Westchester towns and villages are exploring measures to oppose or locally restrict retail sales of recreational marijuana in preparation for pot's expected legalization in New York.

Legalizing adult-use marijuana is expected to be included in Gov. Andrew Cuomo's $175-billion state budget proposal. Details have not been finalized.

But local leaders aren't waiting. Pleasantville and New Castle are examining ways to tweak their laws to prohibit pot sales. Somers and Yorktown elected officials have been discussing the issue too.

MedMen, the California-based cannabis firm that has made headlines over the past year for securing the Woodstock logo and seeking the exclusive rights to the word “cannabis,” is now in the news over allegations of racism and other unsavory behavior. This supposed corruption among the company’s leading executives, made public in a lawsuit filed by former MedMen CFO James Parker, was deep enough for the New York Cannabis Industry Association (NYMCIA) to sever ties with the company earlier this week.

For states that have legalized some form of cannabis use, drug testing policies for employees and workplaces have been a constant source of controversy. Because THC, the main psychoactive constituent of cannabis, can linger in the body long after its effects have worn off, employees can test positive on a drug screening for legal, off-the-clock activity. And with many employers adopting “no tolerance” workplace drug policies, workers have faced sanctions and termination for testing positive for THC, despite showing no indication of drug-impairment on the job.

On February 12th, members of the Start SMART NY coalition (Sensible Marijuana Access through Regulated Trade) will lay out their vision for a just marijuana industry and demand that Governor Cuomo incorporate the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act into his proposed recreational marijuana legalization plan.

The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA, S.1527/A.1617) introduced by Majority Leader Crystal People-Stokes and Senator Liz Krueger, is model legislation to create a taxed and regulated adult-use marijuana market that not only creates economic opportunities for all New Yorkers but also addresses the harms of decades of prohibition.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo and many state lawmakers have said legalizing marijuana in New York is a priority this year, but questions remain about how adult use will be regulated and taxed.

A legal marijuana bill currently sits in both the state Assembly and Senate. Cuomo has said he wants the regulatory framework to be completed as part of this year's budget, which is due April 1, but some lawmakers, including Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, have said they don't think that will happen. 

Just across the street from the bustling Barclays Center subway stop in Brooklyn, a new kind of store has opened its doors. And though it may resemble an Apple Store from a quick glance (the Apple store is actually just up the block), this fresh establishment offers up something danker than the next iPhone: cannabis.

CBD, one of the buzziest wellness products of 2019, just hit a snag. New York City has forbidden the sale of CBD edibles in restaurants, bars, and other establishments that fall under the Department of Health's purview, Eater reported Tuesday. Health inspectors in the city are already visiting restaurants to enforce the crackdown.

The New York City Department of Health has announced that bars and restaurants in the city are not permitted to serve CBD products. Despite the legalization of hemp and CBD in the 2018 Farm Bill, a health department spokeswoman said in a statement that the cannabinoid has not yet been approved for use in food and beverage products.

Instead of a list of state-approved health conditions, medical professionals would use clinical judgment to certify medical marijuana patients under New York's new cannabis legislation.

Story Highlights

Medical marijuana patients could get a special permit to grow up to four cannabis plants at home

The tally of certified patients has increased to 87,855, up from a couple thousand in the beginning

Recreational use statewide is expected to require more than 600,000 pounds of cannabis

Drastic changes to New York’s medical marijuana program are tucked into Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to legalize recreational pot.

With the recent movement New York has experienced in the cannabis space, all eyes are on this massive market and its potential profits, trends, tax generation, and cultural impact. It’s no secret many companies and investment firms are primed to make their moves once the legal doors open. New Yorkers know this too, which is why activists have also prepared plans and possible regulations to prevent a hostile corporate takeover.