Making a buck as a New York cannabis farmer has been difficult, to say the least. And the long wait that many farmers have faced in transitioning from conditional to full licensure has not made life any easier.
Nearly 40% of the state's 279 original licensed cultivators have yet to transition to permanent licenses, according to the state Cannabis Farmer's Alliance.
Some farmers have simply lost faith in New York's Office of Cannabis Management and haven't bothered to apply, while a sizable number are stuck in the queue, waiting months and months for OCM to act on their applications. After three years of being able to only grow cannabis and minimally process their flower, these farmers are operating in "legal limbo," says Matt Leonardo, a cannabis attorney with the Albany firm Hinman Straub.
"Some believe that this is because OCM has prioritized retail locations over the transition of cultivators," Leonardo said. Earlier this year, OCM extended the authority of Adult-Use Conditional Cultivator licensees to operate through the fall of 2024.
Read more at New York Upstate.