A group of 18 organizations wrote to New York's governor on Tuesday to express dismay at what they described as marijuana regulators' "efforts in service of big corporations at the expense of small business and equity outcomes" during the latter half of this year.
"When you entered office, you publicly committed to New York having the most equitable and small business-focused cannabis market in the country, but we are seeing different priorities from your administration," says the new open letter, signed by organizations including the NAACP New York State Conference, Black Cannabis Industry Association, Minority Cannabis Business Association, Service Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association, Drug Policy Alliance, NYC NORML and VOCAL-NY.
In a press release about the new letter, advocates assert that since the departure of the state's first chief cannabis regulator, Chris Alexander, in May, state officials have demonstrated a "shift toward corporate interests at the expense of small business, justice-involved entrepreneurs, and Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licensees who are directly impacted by prior marijuana arrest."
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