Latest news with #OfficeofCannabisManagement
The Independent
5 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Dozens of New York marijuana stores could be forced to move over legal error
New York 's three-year-old recreational marijuana licensing system has been thrown into disarray after officials admitted a fundamental error in how they measure the legally mandated distance between cannabis dispensaries and schools. For years, the state had been using a simple door-to-door measurement, but it has now emerged that they misread the law, which requires the 500-foot (152-metre) buffer to be measured from the edge of a school 's property line. This startling admission, made by the Office of Cannabis Management last month, has plunged approximately 100 cannabis shops into uncertainty, leaving them to await a legislative fix or face potential relocation. Osbert Orduña, who owns The Cannabis Place in New York City, now deemed too close to a nearby preschool, described the news as like dropping "a grenade in the laps" of business owners. He added: "The way that they executed this was a complete and utter failure in leadership." The blunder represents the latest setback for New York's struggling legal marijuana programme. The initiative has been consistently hampered by legal challenges, a sluggish rollout, and significant regulatory gaps that have inadvertently allowed an illicit market to flourish across the state. Businesses now face an anxious wait as authorities grapple with the implications of their misinterpretation. 'To give you this news, and for the weight of it, I am incredibly sorry,' said Felicia A.B. Reid, acting executive director of the cannabis agency, said in notices to the businesses. The error impacts a sizable share of the state's roughly 450 cannabis dispensaries. About 60 of those were licensed using the erroneous measurement system, mostly in New York City, plus around another 40 that have licenses but are yet to open their doors. On top of that, there are almost 50 other businesses that have applied for licenses under the incorrect measurement system and are awaiting final approval from the agency. The state has set aside a pot of money where applicants can get up to $250,000 to help relocate. The existing shops have been told they can remain open for now, and even continue to operate with their expired licenses as long as the businesses file an application for a renewal. Regulators say they are urging state lawmakers to create a permanent fix that will allow the shops to stay put. But they have also noted that is not guaranteed. The state Legislature isn't scheduled to sit again until January. Meanwhile, business owners say they're being forced to operate in a gray area. Jillian Dragutsky, who opened a dispensary called Yerba Buena in Brooklyn a few months ago, worries the issue still jeopardises a dispensary's ability to bank, get insurance and purchase inventory since they are supposed to have valid licenses in place. 'How do you grow your business not knowing where you're going to be a few months from now?' Dragutsky said. In a statement, the cannabis office said businesses can obtain 'proof of a valid license or a letter of good standing to operate' by contacting the agency. An internal review of the cannabis office released last year detailed numerous problems at the agency, including inexperienced management and shifting licensure rules, while state leaders promised an administrative overhaul. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has previously said the program has been a 'disaster,' called the school proximity problem 'a major screw up' and vowed to find a legislative fix. 'These people have worked hard. They've waited a long time. They put their life savings into something that they thought was going to help them support their families,' she said. 'So what I'm been doing is first of all reassuring them that you're going to be OK. Secondly, we need to get the law changed to have a fix.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cannabis products recalled across NY: See the list
Several adult-use cannabis products sold in dispensaries throughout New York state are being recalled by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management. The presence of unallowable pesticides was found in nine lots of cannabis products produced by IndoGrow LLC, leading to the precautionary recall on June 11. No reports of adverse effects caused by consumption of the products have been received and an investigation is ongoing. Here's what to know. All of the affected products were produced by IndoGrow LLC — license number OCM-MICR-000099 — and may also go by names that include "Indi," "Grow by Indi," "Our Creation" and "Grow with Us." Here's which products have been recalled: The Force Pre-Roll, lot number SWDV01 Blue Coffee Flower, lot number IC099-001-BC Blue Coffee Pre-Roll, lot number IC099-BC1-PR Sour Runtz Flower, lot number IC099-001-SR Sour Runtz Pre-Roll, lot number IC099-SR1-PR Cosmic Burst Flower, lot number PPG01 Oreoz Flower, lot number IC099-001-OR Oreoz Pre-Roll, lot number IC099-OR1-PR Secret Formula Flower, lot number IC099-001-SF Dispensaries and distributors have been instructed to stop distributing and selling the affected products immediately. If you've bought any of the recalled products and want to return them, the state Office of Cannabis Management says to contact the dispensary you purchased them from. You can return recalled products even if you've opened them. If you're experiencing serious or troublesome cannabis-related symptoms, call your health care provider or the Poison Center at 800-222-1222. The Office of Cannabis Management is also asking consumers to report any incidents related to this specific recalled product or any others by completing an incident form, which can be found by visiting Emily Barnes on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network's New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on X and Instagram @byemilybarnes. Get in touch at ebarnes@ This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Cannabis products recalled across NY: See the list
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Several marijuana products recalled in New York State
ALBANY, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) — New York State's Office of Cannabis Management has issued a recall on several cannabis products due to public health concerns. Multiple adult-use cannabis products produced by IndoGrow have been recalled. The regulated products are being sold through licensed cannabis dispensaries throughout New York State. According to the Office, the affected products were originally quarantined due to a lack of validity in testing by a former permitted laboratory. The Office authorized a re-test of the products, and nine lots failed due to the presence of unallowable pesticides, posing a potential risk to public health and safety. The following products are affected: The Force Pre-Roll Blue Coffee Flower Blue Coffee Pre-Roll Sour Runtz Flower Sour Runts Pre-Roll Cosmic Burst Flower Oreoz Flower Oreoz Pre-Roll Secret Formula Flower Dispensaries and distributors must cease distribution and sales of the above products immediately. The products may also go by names such as Indi, Grow by Indi, Our Creation, and Grow withUs. The Office of Cannabis Management reminds consumers to report any incidents related to the use of these products or any other cannabis product by completing an incident here. Binghamton Firefighters say 'farewell' to another brother Local eateries face off in Chef Show Down at Kilmer Mansion Pizza Week 2025: Vestal Bakery Law Enforcement Torch Run raises money for Special Olympics SRO Productions presents 'A New Brain' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Associated Press
25-04-2025
- Associated Press
Illegal Out-of-State Cannabis Products Discovered for Sale in Licensed New York Dispensaries, Undercutting Local Equity Operators, Farmers & Processors
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 25, 2025-- An alarming new investigation released by members of the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association has uncovered that illegal cannabis flower - smuggled in from the West Coast - is being sold in licensed dispensaries across New York State. Lab-verified findings confirm that at least two widely available brands, Heady Tree and Runtz, were not grown in New York and entered the state illegally. Bulk quantities of out-of-state products easily made their way into New York and on to the shelves of legal stores because New York regulators have not implemented a track-and-trace system. Advanced testing from a fully accredited Office of Cannabis Management lab in conjunction with academic partners analyzed the cannabis flower to identify pesticides, soil type, and metals and determined with high probability that the cannabis from these brands was grown on the West Coast. Findings can be found here. Additional testing is ongoing to verify other brands suspected of nefarious activities. While cannabis is legal in a growing number of states, it is still illegal federally, meaning that cannabis cannot be distributed across state lines. All cannabis sold in New York must be grown and processed within the state's borders - a regulation designed to support local farmers, protect public health, and ensure legal tested, products generate tax revenue that benefits all New Yorkers. 'Even one product from out of state ending up on a licensed dispensary shelf is unacceptable,' said Ngiste Abebe, spokesperson for the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association. 'The fact that multiple brands were found at multiple stores shows we have a systemic failure. The lack of a standardized track-and-trace system is directly enabling this problem. The Office of Cannabis Management has had over two years since adult-use sales began, but we still don't have BioTrack fully implemented. That's inexcusable, and its hurting compliant businesses most of all.' This growing problem - known as 'inversion' - occurs when cannabis grown in oversaturated markets like California, Oregon, and Washington is illegally diverted into newer markets like New York where cannabis processors and distributors purchase it for heavily discounted prices. It undermines the integrity of New York's regulated cannabis system, robs compliant businesses of shelf space and sales, and cheats the state out of vital tax dollars. To stop inversion, the OCM must immediately implement and enforce the BioTrack seed-to-sale tracking system, a system selected by NY State, to safeguard the legal market, protect consumers, and support licensed New York operators. Transcripts from a February 2023 OCM Control Board Meeting discuss the anticipated availability of BioTrack in March 2023 with a 60-day implementation period. Nearly two years later, BioTrack is still not in place. Without the urgent implementation of BioTrack, the illicit market will continue to grow inside the very system designed to replace it. Every day that the illicit market is allowed to grow has devastating consequences for the whole cannabis industry. The illicit market is actively harming cannabis sales which slows down the opening of new dispensaries and the diversification of legal products, stalls job growth, and harms patients in New York by curbing growth of the medical market. The chief priority of the OCM should be implementing BioTrack to stop illegal cannabis from making its way into New York. About The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association (NYMCIA) The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association is comprised of Columbia Care, Cresco, Curaleaf, Green Thumb Industries, The Botanist and Acreage NY, iAnthus, and Pharmacann. Our mission is to protect and serve the patients in New York's medical marijuana program while leading the way for the adult-use industry across the state. Learn more about NYMCIA at View source version on Media Contact: Samantha [email protected] KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT CANNABIS SPECIALTY LAW ENFORCEMENT/EMERGENCY SERVICES WHITE HOUSE/FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGRICULTURE STATE/LOCAL NATURAL RESOURCES PUBLIC POLICY OTHER POLICY ISSUES ADVOCACY GROUP OPINION RETAIL PUBLIC POLICY/GOVERNMENT SOURCE: New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association (NYMCIA) Copyright Business Wire 2025. PUB: 04/25/2025 12:38 PM/DISC: 04/25/2025 12:38 PM
Business Wire
25-04-2025
- Business Wire
Illegal Out-of-State Cannabis Products Discovered for Sale in Licensed New York Dispensaries, Undercutting Local Equity Operators, Farmers & Processors
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--An alarming new investigation released by members of the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association has uncovered that illegal cannabis flower - smuggled in from the West Coast - is being sold in licensed dispensaries across New York State. Lab-verified findings confirm that at least two widely available brands, Heady Tree and Runtz, were not grown in New York and entered the state illegally. Bulk quantities of out-of-state products easily made their way into New York and on to the shelves of legal stores because New York regulators have not implemented a track-and-trace system. Advanced testing from a fully accredited Office of Cannabis Management lab in conjunction with academic partners analyzed the cannabis flower to identify pesticides, soil type, and metals and determined with high probability that the cannabis from these brands was grown on the West Coast. Findings can be found here. Additional testing is ongoing to verify other brands suspected of nefarious activities. While cannabis is legal in a growing number of states, it is still illegal federally, meaning that cannabis cannot be distributed across state lines. All cannabis sold in New York must be grown and processed within the state's borders - a regulation designed to support local farmers, protect public health, and ensure legal tested, products generate tax revenue that benefits all New Yorkers. 'Even one product from out of state ending up on a licensed dispensary shelf is unacceptable,' said Ngiste Abebe, spokesperson for the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association. 'The fact that multiple brands were found at multiple stores shows we have a systemic failure. The lack of a standardized track-and-trace system is directly enabling this problem. The Office of Cannabis Management has had over two years since adult-use sales began, but we still don't have BioTrack fully implemented. That's inexcusable, and its hurting compliant businesses most of all.' This growing problem - known as 'inversion' - occurs when cannabis grown in oversaturated markets like California, Oregon, and Washington is illegally diverted into newer markets like New York where cannabis processors and distributors purchase it for heavily discounted prices. It undermines the integrity of New York's regulated cannabis system, robs compliant businesses of shelf space and sales, and cheats the state out of vital tax dollars. To stop inversion, the OCM must immediately implement and enforce the BioTrack seed-to-sale tracking system, a system selected by NY State, to safeguard the legal market, protect consumers, and support licensed New York operators. Transcripts from a February 2023 OCM Control Board Meeting discuss the anticipated availability of BioTrack in March 2023 with a 60-day implementation period. Nearly two years later, BioTrack is still not in place. Without the urgent implementation of BioTrack, the illicit market will continue to grow inside the very system designed to replace it. Every day that the illicit market is allowed to grow has devastating consequences for the whole cannabis industry. The illicit market is actively harming cannabis sales which slows down the opening of new dispensaries and the diversification of legal products, stalls job growth, and harms patients in New York by curbing growth of the medical market. The chief priority of the OCM should be implementing BioTrack to stop illegal cannabis from making its way into New York. The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association is comprised of Columbia Care, Cresco, Curaleaf, Green Thumb Industries, The Botanist and Acreage NY, iAnthus, and Pharmacann. Our mission is to protect and serve the patients in New York's medical marijuana program while leading the way for the adult-use industry across the state. Learn more about NYMCIA at
