MMNFF - 'Corporate Behemoths' Are Behind Lawsuits Hindering New York's Cannabis Rollout Says State Senator | Benzinga
New York State Senator Liz Krueger (D) says the core of the numerous challenges facing the state's beleaguered cannabis program are being caused by large corporations who seek to dominate the industry.
"This is really a story about big business trying to shut out small evolving businesses," said Krueger, reported Spectrum News.
Krueger, who wrote the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), which effectively legalized adult-use cannabis, recognized that regulators also have made mistakes, but insisted that corporations played a significant role in the extremely slow market roll-out and have been the brains behind the many lawsuits.
"These attacks that are being privately funded by secret organizations, both the lawsuits and frankly a PR campaign throughout the state, it's really disturbing," Krueger said.
Krueger and assembly member Crystal People Spokes wrote an opinion piece on the topic in which they clarified the intentions of the legislation and defended the Office Of Cannabis Management (OCM) saying it was acting lawfully.
"The intent behind the language at issue in the lawsuits, which states that all initial retail license applications be opened "at the same time,” was not to impose an administrative straitjacket on the OCM,” they wrote. "It ...