New York will legalize marijuana in 2021: Cuomo's assistant called deadlines

New York will legalize marijuana and allow CBD beverages to be sold on April 1, 2021, an adviser to the state governor said. This is reported on the website marijuanamoment.net.

New York's Marijuana Legalization Act will be introduced to the state budget in January 2021, and the reform will take effect on April 1. This was announced by the chief adviser on the legalization of marijuana at the Governor's Office.

The state's regulations governing the circulation of products containing cannabidiol (CBD), including those allowing the use of beverages and foods derived from hemp, were also preliminary studied.

During an interview with David Culver of Canopy Growth Corp. On the company's recently launched video, Under The Canopy, Assistant Legal Counsel Axel Bernabe said efforts to legalize marijuana in neighboring states underscore the need for reform in New York. He said the law, which will be enacted by the governor's decree, will serve as a "model" for other states.

But he also acknowledged that neighboring New Jersey could overtake Empire State, as it could legalize marijuana through a referendum in November. “We are closely monitoring New Jersey and have always been confident that we will achieve this (legalizing marijuana - Ed.) Faster than New Jersey. If they hold a referendum, they will still have to reach an agreement between the governor and the Senate, - he said, implying the need to adopt by-laws if voters vote "for". “We are working on this and think that we will resolve this issue by April 1.”

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However, a leading New Jersey senator recently announced that state lawmakers could pass a bill to enact marijuana legalization in the first week of November.

In New York, meanwhile, the legalization issue has stalled, despite Cuomo's inclusion in his budget proposal for the past two years. One of the main obstacles along this path is the issue of the distribution of cannabis tax revenue.

Bernabe said he is particularly concerned about public safety and economic development issues that will be included in the administration's upcoming proposal to legalize marijuana. He also spoke about the need to ensure social justice for communities historically plagued by the war on drugs, adding that there will be some changes since this year's version in light of the experiences of other states.

Also in an interview, Bernabe spoke about the current regulations on hemp cannabinoids. While regulations have long existed for growing marijuana for fiber, seed and other agricultural purposes, the law is “literally being finalized” to address the issue of CBD-containing consumer products. “I think people will recognize that there are many sectors or product lines for which no detailed rules have been developed,” he said. "For example, vaping with CBD-based liquid or other cannabinoid extract, food and drinks." He continued, “How is it regulated? What is permissible? What is not? We dug deep. I don’t know if we will succeed. ”

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An administration official gave an example of what new regulations are likely to take effect in New York State. For example, the sale of beverages and food products containing cannabinoids will be monitored. “We think about it from a consumer protection perspective. These products are already there. There is no point in pretending that it is not, ”he said. And he added that one way to provide such protection is to set a maximum KBP dose of 25 milligrams per serving.

Bernab continued: “We really do it by all the rules. We really look at each class of product and try to find a balance between protecting consumers and providing people with what they obviously use to maintain health and wellness. ”

As the administration finalizes new regulations, the state's cannabis industry recently received news of other regulations. Since the Farm Bill 2014 pilot program (the Agriculture Act authorizing food and agriculture programs in the US 2014-2018) has been extended until September 2021, the NYC Department of Agriculture said it would similarly allow businesses for the production of hemp to continue working under the existing program until September 30, 2021. “In this time of uncertainty, we welcome the department's decision to expand these rules,” said Allan Gandelman, president of the New York Cannabis Growers and Processors Association.

Earlier it was reported that marijuana will be legalized in New York in 2020. At the beginning of this year, the Governor promised to legalize marijuanaprioritizing a move that failed in 2019 amid tensions over who should be allowed to sell the drug and where the proceeds should go.