Experts on Legalization of Marijuana in New York Will Speak at New York State Bar Association Event April 12
4.5.2021
Legislators and state officials who played a key role in the passage of a bill that legalizes cannabis for adult use in New York will provide insights into how the new law will work at a New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) panel discussion on April 12.
Axel Bernabe, assistant counsel to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo; Assembly Majority Leader Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes; Senator Jeremy A. Cooney, D-Rochester; Lynelle K. Bosworth, a Greenberg Traurig shareholder; will offer insights regarding how the nascent industry will be structured, as well as impacts on the existing medical cannabis program.
The lunchtime discussion on April 12, Overview of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, will be followed the following week by a CLE webinar, What Lawyers Need To Know About the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which will run from 1 p.m. to 4:20 p.m. on April 20.
The impact of the bill that was signed into law by the governor on March 31 is far reaching. Legalization of cannabis for adult recreational use will require every business in the state to come up with new workplace policies. It will also change the practice of law on multiple fronts and provide economic opportunities and tax revenue – particularly for lower-income minority communities that have borne the brunt of cannabis prohibition for decades.
The law regulates the production and sale of cannabis, legalizes adult-use recreational cannabis and expands the medical cannabis and cannabinoid hemp programs. The records of New Yorkers who have been convicted of cannabis-related crimes that would no longer be illegal under the new law will be automatically expunged.
Learn how the new Office of Cannabis Management, which will be located within the Division of Alcohol Beverage Control, will establish cultivation and processing standards, license all production and distribution businesses, and set rules for advertising, marketing and product labeling. The speakers will also discuss training for drug recognition officers, traffic safety protections and roadside testing technology. The information will be valuable to all businesses – even those that do not sell or produce cannabis – as they will still have to establish workplace policies.
The Office of Cannabis Management will also be responsible for granting half of the licenses for growing or distributing cannabis to applicants from communities impacted by cannabis prohibition; minority- and women-owned businesses; distressed farmers; or service-disabled veterans. The new Cannabis Revenue Fund and the Community Grants Reinvestment Fund established by the legislation will provide funding to community-based organizations and local government entities to reinvest in communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies.
About the New York State Bar Association
The New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation. Since 1876, the Association has helped shape the development of law, educated and informed the legal profession and the public, and championed the rights of New Yorkers through advocacy and guidance in our communities.
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Contact: Susan DeSantis
sdesantis@nysba.org
201-575-5756
