New York’s governor has ordered examiners to assess the state’s cannabis regulator and processes related to adult-use licensing.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who recently called the state’s rollout of its adult-use market a “disaster,” appointed Jeanette Moy, commissioner for the New York State Office of General Services, to lead the multiagency initiative, according to a Monday news release.
The internal audit, which will last at least 30 days, includes:
- A top-down review of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM)’s organizational structure, processes and systems with a goal to shorten licensing approvals and the application period for new marijuana retailers and businesses.
- Developing key performance metrics to provide a timely, accurate and comprehensive picture of licensing activity for legal retailers.
- Identifying and implementing changes to policies, procedures and regulations to streamline the licensing process as well as simplify the application and review for prospective licensees.
- Establishing three- and six-month action plans with milestones to improving agency functions.
After the 30-day assessment, Moy and her team will consider a potentially longer examination of the OCM and its practices, the release noted.
The New York Times first reported about Hochul’s order on Sunday.
Despite the U.S. cannabis industry’s widespread anticipation of New York developing into a multibillion-dollar market, the state’s adult-use program has struggled to build any momentum as lawsuits, a dearth of funding for social equity licensees, municipal opt-outs and a shortage of retail properties have curtailed growth.
Nearly 15 months since launching legal adult-use sales, New York has only 83 licensed stores, far below projections touted by Hochul and other politicos and regulators.
