Marijuana Business Magazine May-June 2019

New York The state’s medical marijuana companies are fighting to get first crack at any new recreational market when one is finally created. The adult-use draft bill from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office called for existing MMJ businesses to compete against each other in an auction for an unspecified number of licenses, or to bid in a round that included non-MMJ applicants. A sticking point has been how to fund the governor’s social equity goals, and an auction of existing MMJ license holders was seen by the state as a revenue mechanism to do that, industry officials said. But Jeremy Unruh, PharmaCann’s director of regulatory and public affairs, said he believes the thinking at the state Capitol has “evolved” and that Cuomo’s office now sees the value of allowing existing MMJ license holders into the adult-use market. f ooda r om . com • i n f o@f ooda r om. com • T 801 975 - 2604 M O N T R É A L • S A N D I E G O • S A L T L A K E C I T Y • B R E M E N • M I L A N O