The New York State Office of Cannabis Management released reports highlighting their work over the past year.
The annual report goes into detail about the licensing processing, social and economic equity efforts and how they continue to prioritize public health and safety. The report also showed the revenue in New York’s marijuana market.
In the report, data showed that over 5,250 licenses, permits and registrations were issued or provisionally approved for cultivation, processing, distribution, microbusiness, and retail.
To help improve the licensing process the Office of Cannabis Management implemented a single point of contact licensing review model in October 2024. The model helped to eliminate the previous multi-team system so applicants can have an examiner guide them through the process from start to finish.
The report also showed that 54.1% of adult-use licenses were issued to social and economic equity businesses.
The Office of Cannabis Management makes social and economic equity central in their efforts. The office works to repair decades of over-criminalization and disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition.
Their work is guided by the New York Social and Economic Equity Plan which is a team that ensures the new cannabis market is fair and equitable.
Task force targeted the NY illicit cannabis market
The report went into detail of how access to care for cannabis patients continues to grow. Under New York State’s Medical Cannabis Program the number of registered health care providers grew from nearly 3,900 in 2022 to 4,454 in 2024.
When it comes to public health and safety the Office of Cannabis Management continues to make it a priority ensuring their team is monitoring emerging trends such as underage consumption, traffic safety, and preventing accidental exposure and overconsumption of cannabis.
In May 2024 the Office of Cannabis Management enforced new emergency regulations such as the Cannabis Enforcement Task Force being launched to combat the illicit cannabis market.
With the help of these regulations data showed that 1,300 enforcement inspections were conducted and 450 businesses were padlocked.
Weed business brought in $80 million for NYS last year
When it comes to revenue, the report showed that cannabis tax, application fee and fine revenue totaled $80.2 million for the state fiscal year 2023-2024. The Medical Cannabis Program generated over $10.7 million, the Cannabinoid Hemp Program generated nearly $1.1 million, and the Adult-Use Cannabis Program made over $68 million.
Jamel Young, executive vice president and co-owner of Good Life Collective, acknowledged his awareness of the report and spoke of how their cannabis shop has been doing since setting up in Rochester in April 2024. “Business is going great for us; we’re starting to see marketing really taking effect,” Young said. “We’re not stagnant, but we still try to find different ways to recreate ourselves to provide the best for our community.”
Good Life Collective offers a variety of cannabis products that customers can buy for recreational use, medical use or for whatever their need is. Customers must have valid ID showing they are over 21 to enter the shop.
Young also mentioned how he is very big on providing a safe environment for the community, ensuring extra security and overnight security is in place. “There is no point in this building where you can enter without having access,” Young said. “We’re still going above and beyond to make sure that we’re secure, not just for our customers, but for our staff and for anybody that comes in.”
For more information on the annual report visit https://cannabis.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/12/ocm-annual-report-2024.pdf.
— Kerria Weaver works as the Government and You reporter for the Democrat and Chronicle, with a focus on how government actions affect communities and neighborhoods in Rochester and in Monroe County. Get in touch at [email protected].
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