{"id":182524,"date":"2026-04-01T19:39:37","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T19:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/182524\/"},"modified":"2026-04-01T19:39:37","modified_gmt":"2026-04-01T19:39:37","slug":"hochul-celebrates-five-years-of-ganja-legislation-caribbean-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/182524\/","title":{"rendered":"Hochul celebrates five years of ganja legislation \u2013 Caribbean Life"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\"Governor\t\t<\/a>\t<\/p>\n

Governor Kathy Hochul unveils Liberty Landing, a transformative project to convert the state-owned 100,000 square-foot former Bayview Correctional Facility in Manhattan into affordable housing for low-income residents and supportive housing for formerly incarcerated individuals reentering the community. The proposed project, a joint venture between Camber Property Group and Osborne Association, would invest over $108 million in West Chelsea and provide 124 permanently affordable housing units and on-site supportive services.\n<\/p>\n

Photo by Susan Watts\/Office of Governor Kathy Hochul<\/p>\n

Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday, March 27, marked the five-year anniversary of New York\u2019s cannabis law, highlighting its impact on creating a regulated, equity-driven industry and the Office of Cannabis Management.<\/p>\n

Since adult-use sales began, New York\u2019s cannabis market has reached $3.3 billion in total retail sales, with over 600 licensed dispensaries operating statewide. Pure Blossom on Manhattan\u2019s Upper West Side is recognized as the State\u2019s 600th licensed retail location.<\/p>\n

\u201cFive years ago, New York committed to building a cannabis market based on equity, safety, and opportunity, and today, that commitment delivers real results,\u201d Hochul said. \u201cWe\u2019re creating new opportunities for small businesses and shutting down illicit shops to protect public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur focus is clear: protect consumers, support legal businesses, and ensure this industry grows the right way,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n

John Kagia, acting executive director, said, \u201cNew York\u2019s cannabis market shows that growth and equity can go hand in hand.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cWith over $3 billion in sales and most licenses held by Social and Economic Equity applicants, New York\u2019s market is both viable and inclusive. These outcomes reflect our commitment to stability and opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n

Building on these accomplishments, Hochul noted that New York\u2019s adult-use cannabis market continues to expand with strong participation from both businesses and consumers.<\/p>\n

She said since launch, New York\u2019s cannabis market has generated $3.3 billion in sales, issued 2,161 licenses, and now operates 610 dispensaries statewide.
Furthermore, the governor highlighted that New York continues to lead the nation in building an equitable cannabis industry.
She said 56 % of licenses have gone to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants, surpassing the state\u2019s goal.<\/p>\n

Additionally, 57 % of SEE licenses are women-owned, and 51 % are minority-owned businesses.
She also noted that 342 CAURD licensees have been approved, with 86% operating across New York.<\/p>\n

Expanding on these advancements, Hochul\u2019s 2026 State of the State includes a $17 million investment to broaden Social and Economic Equity initiatives, further supporting entrepreneurs from Communities Disproportionately Impacted by past cannabis enforcement.<\/p>\n

In addition to supporting new businesses, the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act, the governor said, continues to advance meaningful criminal justice reform.
She said over 400,000 marijuana convictions are eligible for expungement, with over 200,000 sealed and another 107,000 pending.<\/p>\n

The governor said no individual in New York State remains incarcerated solely for a marijuana-related offense.
She said $10 million has been invested through the Community Grant Reinvestment Fund for community initiatives.<\/p>\n

To complement these social and economic efforts, the governor said New York has taken significant steps to protect consumers and address illicit activity.
She said in 2025, 2,017 enforcement actions led to over $20 million in seized cannabis, 579 illicit storefronts closed, 1,481 inspections, 1,094 violation notices, and 581 padlocked sites statewide.<\/p>\n

Mike Rodriguez, owner of Pure Blossoms, said, \u201cI grew up here and opening this business is my way of giving back. I want local kids to see someone like them succeed and do it the right way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOpening Pure Blossoms here isn\u2019t just about business, it\u2019s about giving back to the community that raised me,\u201d he said. \u201cI want the kids who grow up on this block to see someone who looks like them, who came from where they came from, building something real and doing it the right way. That\u2019s what this is about for me.\u201d
Brad Hoylman-Sigal, Manhattan Borough President, said, \u201cFive years after legalization, New York\u2019s cannabis market stands for equity, opportunity, and public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI was proud to support this legislation in the State Senate, and I\u2019m grateful to Gov. Hochul and the Office of Cannabis Management for continuing to move this vision forward,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWith new dispensaries opening in Manhattan and across the state, we\u2019re seeing the benefits of a legal, regulated market that supports small businesses and expands opportunity for communities long impacted by past enforcement,\u201d Hoylman-Sigal added.<\/p>\n

With all these measures, Hochul said, New York is setting the national standard for a modern cannabis marketplace rooted in equity, safety, and accountability.
She said the State will continue to expand opportunity, protect consumers, and ensure that the benefits of legalization are realized across every region and community.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Governor Kathy Hochul unveils Liberty Landing, a transformative project to convert the state-owned 100,000 square-foot former Bayview Correctional…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":182525,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":{"0":"post-182524","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-staten-island","8":"tag-new-york","9":"tag-new-york-city","10":"tag-nyc","11":"tag-staten-island","12":"tag-staten-island-headlines","13":"tag-staten-island-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182524\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/182525"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}