A little more than one year after New York legalized medical marijuana, the health department selected five organizations to grow and sell the product throughout the state Friday.
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Those who had long pushed for New York to join the 22 other states with a medical marijuana program welcomed the selection of vendors, but said they continue to have concerns about the slow implementation of the law, the limited number of dispensaries and restrictions that prohibit smokeable marijuana.
PharmaCann is now well established in Illinois, licensed to operate two medical marijuana growing facilities, plus four dispensaries within the state. Industry City, located in an industrial part of Sunset Park – secluded enough from schools or playgrounds – would have made a great location for a grow house, she noted. Empire State Health Solutions will manufacture at a facility in Fulton County at the former Tryon School for Boys.
We’re told Columbia Care LLC has been granted a license to manufacture and dispense marijuana in Monroe County. Each producer is restricted to opening only four dispensaries each, they will only be allowed to produce five strains or brands of medical marijuana, and all products must be in pill, oil or tincture form.
“We think it’s a very large opportunity”, said Hillary Peckham, who, with her sister and mother, runs Etain, a marijuana business in Katonah in Westchester County.
New York City officials are draining about a billion gallons of water a day from an upstate reservoir as they work urgently to plug a leak near its dam. President Doug Butdorf declined to be recorded, saying he is disappointed but happy for those who won licenses. Just one of the 38 applicants that wasn’t selected had proposed a dispensing facility on Staten Island.
“Our commitment to sponsor research with our hospital partners will ensure that New York State will remain at the cutting edge of innovation by continually improving patient care”, said Nicholas Vita, CEO of Columbia Care.
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The state expects medical marijuana to be available to patients by January. “In fact, by mandating more “medical” delivery systems, this Act helps move the industry away from recommending the use of ‘marijuana, ‘ towards prescribing patients beneficial medicine that happens to be derived from cannabis”. The minute you start adding more manufacturers you slide toward the Colorado or California model which is basically the Wild West. New York’s looking for something different.
