Vicente LLP New York Tri-State Update: April 2023
Apr 5, 2023
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Each month Vicente LLP highlights notable cannabis information from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
New York
Regulations and Policies
The Office of Cannabis Management published its Two Year Medical Cannabis Report.
Revised Packaging, Labeling, Marketing, and Advertising Regulations and Revised Testing Laboratory Regulations were published in the state register and have become effective as of March 22. Please contact us if you have any questions about the content of these regulations.
Cannabis Research Regulations were published in the state register and are currently subject to public comment.
The application window for Testing Laboratories and Sampling Firms concluded on March 31.
As a reminder, the comment period for NY’s proposed adult-use cannabis regulations closed on February 13 and OCM is currently reviewing comments. Read the Proposed Adult-Use Regulations. Contact us if you would like to discuss anything from New York’s regulations. CCB expects to issue revised adult-use regulations sometime in May.
Regulatory Meetings
The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) met on April 3 at 10 a.m. Meeting highlights include:
- Approval of one Cannabis Laboratory Permit in Monroe County
- Approval of 99 CAURD licenses
- The adoption of emergency regulations regarding Violations, Hearings, and Enforcement
The presentation and slides will be posted here once available.
As a reminder, you can watch and view the slides from the March 2 meeting, where CCB Increased the number of CAURD licenses from 150 to 300; adopted the Laboratory Testing Regulations and the Packaging, Labeling, Marketing & Advertising Regulations; and made the announcement of the official launch of the CAURD Retail Accelerator Program which will engage CAURD licensees with in-depth training, mentorship, and support program that will exclusively focus on how to successfully operationalize a cannabis retail business.
You can follow OCM and the CCB’s day-to-day activities on their Instagram account @nys_cannabis.
Events
April 24–25 | Trailblazers NYC
Vicente founding partner Joshua Kappel and partner Jennifer Cabrera are participating in Trailblazers’ highly anticipated second annual event in New York City on April 24-25!
April 27–28 | MJ Unpacked
MJ Unpacked will take place April 27-28 at the Hilton Midtown. Let us know if you’ll be there!
News Highlights
The injunction against CAURD license issuance was lifted in Central New York, Western New York, Mid-Hudson, and Brooklyn. Now, the injunction only remains in the Finger Lakes region.
The first women-owned dispensary in New York opened on March 30 in Queens.
New Jersey
Regulations and Policies
Final regulations for adult-use cannabis were published in the state register on March 6, 2023.
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) proposed regulations governing the operation of cannabis consumption areas recently underwent a 60-day comment period. For now, we wait until the final regulations are released to see how the proposed regulations differ from the final regulations. Read “New Jersey Moves One Step Closer to Cannabis Consumption Areas: CRC Publishes Proposed Regulations” for five notable takeaways and more details about the regs.
Regulatory Meetings
The New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission will meet on April 13 at 1 p.m. The meeting will be live-streamed on YouTube. Agenda items include:
- Public Engagement and Education Committee and Permitting and Licensing Committee reports
- Consideration of name and location change applications
- Consideration of an ATC satellite dispensary
- Consideration of adult-use cannabis business applications
The deadline to register to speak is April 11 at 5 p.m. You can register to speak here.
The previous CRC meeting took place on March 2. Review the slides and replay. During the meeting:
- 32 conditional licenses were approved
- 1 conversion was approved
- 14 annual licenses were approved
- 1 ATC Expansion was approved
Events
Webinar Replay | How to Run a Compliant Cannabis Dispensary in New Jersey
So, you received your New Jersey cannabis business license. Now what? It’s time to get on the path to success as an operational and compliant cannabis dispensary. Watch this recorded session where we offer best practices and compliance tips to help you thrive in this highly complex regulatory environment.
News Highlights
New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) announced the launch of a $10M cannabis grant fund
Connecticut
Regulations and Policies
The Social Equity Council published a slide deck offering guidance on drafting Social Equity Plans.
1,562 marijuana-related convictions have been dismissed in Connecticut.
A number of cannabis-related bills have been filed this legislative session, and some are seeing movement that may impact operators. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Regulatory Meetings
The Social Equity Council met on April 4 at 10 a.m. Agenda items included:
- The approval of 3 Equity Joint Ventures
- Approval of 4 Workforce Development Plans
- Approval of a Social Equity Plan
- Executive Director’s Report including hiring goals, a legislative update, and an update on social equity programs
- Cannabis Accelerator Program update highlighted the progress this program is making and the next steps for participants
The Social Equity Council previously met on March 7. Notable highlights included:
- Rescinded approval of five Equity Joint Ventures that were previously approved
- Approval of two Workforce Development Plans and the denial of one
- Approval of six Equity Joint Ventures and the denial of four
- Announcement of the Canna-Business Revolving Loan Program, offering a $10 million loan fund
Various subcommittees are also scheduled to meet this month and links are available here.
Events
May 20-21 | Connecticut Cannabis & Hemp Convention
Vicente LLP partner Michelle Bodian is slated to speak at the 2023 Connecticut Cannabis & Hemp Convention taking place this May 20, 2023 at 11:30 a.m. ET at the XL Center in Hartford, CT. Attend this session for reflections on where the adult use market stands, updates on the Nutmeg State's licensing lottery process, guidance for applying for a license in 2023, and insight into what changes might be coming this year from the legislature, Department of Consumer Protection, and the Social Equity Council.
Available On-Demand | Connecticut State Licensing: Cultivating an Industry in the Land of Steady Habits
Vicente LLP partner Michelle Bodian joined the International Cannabis Bar Association (INCBA) for a Connecticut-focused online seminar on February 8. This CLE webinar is now available to watch on-demand.
News Highlights
Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) publishes weekly reports on adult-use sales and medical sales, including the total number of products sold and average product price. March’s data has not been posted, but for the week ending 2/28, adult-use sales totaled $700,300.78 and medical sales totaled $853,033.11. DCP is reporting that the average price per item for adult use is $44.24.
Anyone can track license awardee progress through the licensing process on elicense.ct.gov. See here for how to do so.
DCP published a list of licensed retailers: Where can I buy cannabis in Connecticut?
Questions about cannabis in New York, New Jersey and/or Connecticut? We're here to help with corporate law, market analysis, selecting a location, community outreach, licensing, and more. Please feel free to reach out to our Tri-state team.