The effort to legalize adult use cannabis through New York’s budget process fizzled this week after New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Tuesday that there’s just “too much, too little time,” given the COVID-19 outbreak in the state. New York has recorded by far the highest numbers of positive tests and deaths in the country.
But before the spread of coronavirus, New York was on track to legalize, and perhaps lead the entire northeast in a coordinated approach with neighboring states like Connecticut and Pennsylvania. Cuomo, who tried to legalize through the budget in 2019, too, said this January when he announced his legislative priorities during his budget address that he believes the budget process is “the opportunity, frankly, to make some tough decisions and work through tough issues that without the budget can often languish.”
In the early months of 2020, a flurry of entities filed disclosures that indicated they were lobbying on cannabis issues. Some focused on lawmakers, while others targeted specific officials like Axel Bernabe, Cuomo’s Assistant Counsel for Health, and New York’s new Director of Cannabis, Norman Birenbaum.
While the deadline for January and February filings, originally due in March, has been extended to mid-April, here are the entities who have filed so far.
(Editor’s note: Cannabis Wire reached out to learn more about the position of entities that lobbied on cannabis but are not directly involved in the cannabis industry or in cannabis law reform. We will add those responses as they come in.)
Multi-state cannabis company, holds one of ten available medical cannabis licenses in New York.
Lobbied on budget.
Represents counties across the state.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Context: The Association told Cannabis Wire that they “did not take a position in support or opposition,” adding, “On behalf of our member 57 counties and the City of New York, we shared our concerns with revenues, public health, law enforcement, criminal justice, and its impact on our agriculture communities.” (You can read more about those concerns here.)
Association of County Health Officials
Represents local health departments.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Context: The group has long expressed concerns about cannabis legalization. In January, amid the rise of vaping illnesses, the Association called on “lawmakers to rethink push for legal adult use.”
Association of the Bar of the City of New York
New York City’s Bar Association.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Context: The Association told Cannabis Wire, “Our Drugs & the Law Committee issued a report in 2018 supporting the concept of legalizing the adult non-medical use of marijuana and an early version of the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act. Since then we have included the issue in our New York State Legislative Agenda and advocated for the position in general, without taking a position on any particular bills, and while collaborating with the Start SMART New York coalition where we have been able to. We continue to urge the Legislature and Governor to enact legislation that follows a few key provisions, which are laid out in our agenda.”
Association of the Towns of the State of New York
Advocates on behalf of towns.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
One of the oldest cannabis and drug policy reform organizations in the US.
Lobbied on budget; specifically, Elizabeth Garvey, who is Special Counsel and Senior Advisor to Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union is a division of the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which was the first union to provide representation to US cannabis workers, in California.
Lobbied dozens of lawmakers on medical and adult use.
Multi-state cannabis company, holds one of ten available medical cannabis licenses in New York.
Lobbied dozens of lawmakers on medical and adult use.
A non-profit coalition of hemp and CBD companies.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Community Service Society of New York
A non-profit formed to tackle poverty.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Context: The Society told Cannabis Wire, “CSS lobbied on the issue of ensuring that, should marijuana be legalized, any past criminal convictions for behavior now legalized will be automatically expunged. Along with other social justice advocates, we worked on ensuring that automatic expungement was included in last year’s decriminalization law, and were successful. We would like to see the state policymakers build on this in future legislation.”
Congress of Parents and Teachers
The New York chapter of the PTA.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Context: The PTA has long opposed cannabis legalization.
A US arm of Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth, also one of the world’s largest and highest valued after a $4 billion investment by alcohol giant Constellation Brands. As Cannabis Wire has reported, Canopy has a significant hemp presence in New York, and is in the process of acquiring US multistate operator Acreage Holdings, which holds one of the ten available medical cannabis licenses in New York.
Lists only three senators lobbied on “cannabis” and “state bill,” otherwise vague: Senators Kaminsky, Addabbo, and Savino.
Cannabis brand with products available in California, Oregon, Michigan and Colorado. Founded by former NBA player Al Harrington.
Lobbied several lawmakers on medical cannabis expansion and on adult use, but notably also names Axel Bernabe and Norman Birenbaum.
A Massachusetts-based cannabis delivery company.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Hudson Health Extracts (Merida Capital, on behalf)
Applied (not selected) for a medical cannabis license in New York.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM)
The leading anti-legalization group in the US.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.” In the specifics, the legislature was sent a “decriminalize, don’t legalize” flyer. And, separately, a half dozen lawmakers were lobbied on S1527.
The US subsidiary of GW Pharmaceuticals, the largest cannabis-focused pharmaceutical company in the world, and the maker of the first FDA-approved cannabis plant-extract medicine. (As Cannabis Wire has reported, Greenwich is lobbying across the US.)
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.” Notes 46 different pieces of legislation on which the “executive chamber/staff of office of Governor and Lt. Governor” were lobbied.
A Pennsylvania-based company; activities unclear.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Long Island Progressive Coalition
Grassroots community organization.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied” and says it did “grassroots lobbying” on the issue.
New York State Cannabis Growers and Processors Association (on behalf of New York Hemp Oil, Sparkle Holdings LLC, Hudson Hemp, Castetter Sustainability Group Inc, Naturae, and HR Botanicals LLC.)
Lobbied on adult use in the budget. Like Viola, the Association explicitly names Bernabe and Birenbaum.
Multi-state cannabis company, holds one of ten available medical cannabis licenses in New York.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.”
Location is listed as TBD, and it’s unclear what the company is focused on. But it is likely this cannabis company founded by the son of Christopher George Latore Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.” Says little more than that Senator Stewart-Cousins was approached about “community affairs” and “state regulation/rate-making/rule.”
Michigan-based point-of-sale company focused on cannabis.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.” Says little more than that the “staff of office of Governor and Lt. Governor” were approached about “cannabis & technology” and “state regulation/rate-making/rule.”
A D.C.-based healthcare non-profit.
Lists cannabis under “subjects lobbied.” Specifically lobbied Senator Neil Breslin on a bill unrelated to cannabis, S7828.
