New York’s cannabis landscape has undergone some dramatic changes since the start of 2021.
After years of stalled three-way negotiations between legislative leaders and Governor Andrew Cuomo, Cuomo signed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, sponsored by Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes and Senator Liz Krueger, in March.
Also in March: Cuomo started to feel the heat of building momentum behind allegations of sexual harassment. Some, including Krueger, thought that the scandals might have played into Cuomo’s willingness, and perhaps eagerness, to negotiate the cannabis legalization bill and get it across the finish line.
“You did get the sense from his people that this had become a high priority for the governor to get done,” Krueger told Cannabis Wire. “And I don’t believe it was a high priority for the governor to get done because he suddenly had a personal different take on the issue of marijuana.”
Then, June came and lawmakers recessed for the summer without Cuomo’s nominations for the Office of Cannabis Management, a crucial step to launch the state’s regulated adult use cannabis industry.
Some industry advocates perceived Cuomo as foot-dragging. Then, in a stunning downfall, Cuomo announced during a press conference on August 10 that he’d be resigning two weeks later, following a damning investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James. Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will ascend to the gubernatorial post next week and assume, among many other responsibilities, the role of helping to shape the future of New York’s cannabis industry with her nominations to the regulatory board.
With all of this in mind, Cannabis Wire sifted through the latest lobbying disclosures to identify entities newly lobbying on cannabis. (In at least one case, a cannabis entity, Columbia Care, specifically registered this year to lobby Hochul on “relationship building regarding cannabis legalization.”)
Here they are:
Cookies Retail is a national cannabis brand named after the Girl Scout Cookies strain of cannabis. The company registered, via Jenkins, Patrick B. & Associates, to lobby Peoples-Stokes and Krueger on A124 and S854, the Assembly and Senate versions of the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act.
Stanley Brothers USA Holdings Inc, behind the national cannabidiol (CBD) brand Charlotte’s Web, is registered, via Park Strategies, LLC, to lobby on “regulations implementing the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act.”
Metrc LLC is a national cannabis tracking software company that is registered, via Brown & Weinraub, PLLC, to lobby on state legislation pertaining to “Cannibis Tracking” [sic].
Australis Capital describes itself as a company that “looks to acquire and operate U.S. cannabis businesses and brands” that is registered, via Delbello Donnellan Weingarten Wise & Wiederkehr, LLP, to lobby on “mariijuana production.”
Transport Logistics LLC is a Texas-based company that focuses on “cost-effective, high tech solutions for the most demanding supply chain challenges.” Transport Logistics registered, via Dickinson & Avella, PLLC, to lobby on “cannabis/marijuana” related legislation.
Logistics One is a Saratoga Springs, New York-based warehousing and transportation company that focuses on distribution for the northeast, and Quebec and Ontario, and registered, via Dickinson & Avella, PLLC, to lobby on “cannabis/marijuana” related legislation.
Speedway Plaza Inc is a gas station and convenience store located near the Canadian-US border, which also borders the St. Regis Mohawk Reservation. Speedway, part of the Gasoline Stations Industry, registered, via Park Strategies LLC, to lobby the offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor, New York State Assembly and Senate Majority Programs and counsel staff, the New York State Senate, and the Office of Cannabis Management. Speedway’s focus is on the permitting and licensing of the New York State legalized cannabis program, and the state tribal compact agreement New York State Indian Nations, specifically the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.
CBD Kratom describes itself as a “one-stop shop for CBD oils and edibles, hemp products, various strains of Kratom and lots more,” with locations from Houston and Chicago to New York. CBD Kratom registered, via Carlucci LLC, to lobby the state’s Department of Health on rulemaking related to “sale of synthetic cannabinoids.”
TNTIC, LLC is a Rochester-based LLC registered, via Brown & Weinraub, PLLC, to lobby on “marijuana licensing.”
Hempire State Growers, Inc describes its mission as seeking to “lead the standards of ethical and regenerative agricultural practices that support the local economy of the Hudson Valley while contributing to the betterment of human health and wellness.” Hempire State Growers is registered, via Brown & Weinraub, PLLC, to lobby on “marijuana licensing.”
Greenrose Acquisition Corp describes itself as a “multi-state, vertically integrated company” focused on “growth scalability and horizontal consolidation.” The SPAC is registered, via Statewide Public Affairs, Inc., to lobby on four bills: S854, A1248, S2509, and A3009, which are the Senate and Assembly versions of both the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act and the budget bill.
Bhavana Berries LLC is an organic blueberry orchard located on the North Fork of Long Island registered, via Statewide Public Affairs, Inc., to lobby on four bills: S854, A1248, S2509, and A3009, or the Senate and Assembly versions of both the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act and the budget bill.
PTS Corp is an Illinois-based company, which holds cultivation and manufacture licenses in that state as Progressive Treatment Solutions, that is lobbying via Dickinson & Avella, PLLC.
Palindrome Enterprises Inc. is a Brooklyn, NY-based company that is lobbying, via Fontas Advisors NY, LLC.
Illuminated Leaf is a Woodstock, NY-based company that is lobbying, via Park Strategies LLC, on “cannabis licensing.”
Nuponix Labs is a Romulus, NY-based company focused on cannabis cultivation that is lobbying, via Greenberg Traurig, LLP, the offices of the Governor and Lt. Governor and the Office of Cannabis Management on “regulations related to the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.”
4NYSOM20 LLC / KATALYST SECURITIES, LLC is a New York-based investment firm that is lobbying, via Brown & Weinraub, PLLC, on “regulation of cannibis” [sic].
Empire OG Holdings LLC is a Colorado-based company that is lobbying, via Park Strategies LLC, on the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act.
Lakehouse Cannabis, LLC is a newly-formed company based in Homer, NY that is lobbying, via Park Strategies LLC, on the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act.
Buffalo Cannabis Company, LLC is a newly-formed Buffalo-based company that is lobbying, via Upstate Strategic Advisors, LLC, on “regulations implementing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.”
KlickTrack, Inc is a Washington-based company focused on point of sale and inventory management for cannabis retailers that is lobbying, via Advance Group, Inc., Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal to “advocate for the usage of Klicktrack as a compliance tool for cannabis dispensaries.”
