Local assemblyman announces plan to regular marijuana industry tighter

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) — A local assemblyman said he is going to introduce legislation that would increase the oversight of New York’s developing cannabis industry.

Assemblyman Josh Jensen (R, 134) announced Thursday that the bill he wants to introduce would include mandatory “seed to sale” product tracking guidelines and eliminate what he calls ambiguity around who is responsible for the inspections of cannabis facilities and products by requiring municipalities and county boards of health to be responsible for inspections related to cannabis facilities.

Jensen said his bill would then require the New York Office of Cannabis Management to reimburse county and local governments for the costs of the inspections.

New York’s first 52 Adult-use Cannabis Conditional Cultivator Licenses were approved earlier this month, so many farms are already legally growing marijuana.

The state has not issued retail licenses yet, but it plans on making sure at least the first 100 that it does issue be for New Yorkers with previous marijuana convictions.

The state estimates that the first legal dispensaries will open toward the end of the year.