New legislation created a new Conditional Adult-use Cannabis Cultivator license
By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com
A recently passed bill in New York’s legislature will allow some of the state’s roughly 700 hemp producers to also grow cannabis.
The new legislation creates a Conditional Adult-use Cannabis Cultivator license, which current hemp farmers can apply for.
"I am proud to sign this bill, which positions New York's farmers to be the first to grow cannabis and jumpstart the safe, equitable and inclusive new industry we are building," Governor Hochul said on Feb. 22.
The license is valid for up to two years and allows a farmer to produce cannabis outdoors or in a greenhouse. The permits are limited to one acre of flowering canopy outdoors or 25,000 square feet in a greenhouse with up to 20 artificial lights.
New York’s Office of Cannabis Management will be responsible for developing the application process.
To qualify for a license, an applicant must:
- Have been an authorized industrial hemp researcher for the Department of Agriculture and Markets,
- Have been cultivating hemp for its cannabinoid content for two of the last four years,
- Participate in social equity memberships programs to provide training in cannabis cultivation, and
- Meet sustainability requirements.
Hemp producers are pleased to see the state government continue to support the industry.
Allowing cannabis production provides another avenue to run a successful business, said Jason Minard, general counsel and sales mediator for Hepworth Ag in Milton, N.Y.
“It's very refreshing that the lawmakers who pass this provisional bill and put it forth have recognized that New York farmers, specifically hemp farmers, need a profitable crop going forward to continue to help this industry thrive,” he said, Spectrum News1 reported.
New York isn’t the first state to allow cannabis cultivation.
In 2021, California distributed 7,548 cannabis licenses. Rounding out the top five were Oregon (1,319), Colorado (1,245) Washington (1,091) and Michigan (487).