New York’s brand new Cannabis Control Board met for the first time this week and it’s already taking decisive action: Flower is now, effective immediately, allowed for sale in medical cannabis dispensaries, reports Leafly.
Wait. Flower wasn’t already on the menu?
That’s right. Previously, while medical cannabis itself has been legal in the state since 2014, cannabis flower has not. Instead, the approximate 150,000 registered medical cannabis consumers had to choose from tinctures, oils and other edible cannabis products.
And there’s more: the board also decided to eliminate a $50 double consumer purchase limits from a 30-day supply of medicine to a 60-day supply.
Not so fast
But regulated cannabis flower isn’t just lying around, notes Leafly.
“The news caught many dispensaries by surprise, as frontline staff members found themselves suddenly fielding calls from patients asking for state-licensed bud,” they write. “Calls to a number of dispensaries on Wednesday afternoon indicated that it could be days or weeks before licensed flower is actually on the shelves.”
More questions than answers
In addition to supply, dispensary owners also don’t yet know any details of what they can and can’t do as far as display, packaging, and myriad other compliance issues — will jars be permitted, for example?
“There’s a lot of confusion in dispensaries about this right now, as state regulators haven’t been exactly forthcoming about the new rules regarding flower sales, so please keep that in mind if you contact your local outlet,” advises Leafly. “The folks there are doing the best they can with limited information.”
See our previous coverage of New York’s legalization effort:
- October 4, 2021: Can New York get cannabis right?
- August 29, 2021: Out with the old (Governor) in the with the New York legalization effort
- August 18, 2021: Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em at the NY State Fair: Officials
- August 16, 2021: Understanding how New York’s legalization efforts are progressing
- August 13, 2021: What does Cuomo’s resignation mean for New York cannabis?
- July 9, 2021: All eyes on the New York prize
- June 27, 2021: Insiders want New York to learn from Canada’s canna-mistakes
- April 27, 2021: New York weed speakeasy comes out of the shadows
- April 4, 2021: As New York goes…
- March 25, 2021: New York State of Kind
