SEEDING OPPORTUNITY INITIATIVE: NYS CANNABIS UPDATE On March 10, 2022, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the first-in-the-nation Seeding Opportunity Initiative, which will position individuals with prior cannabis-related criminal offenses to make the first adult-use cannabis sales of New York-grown products. This farm-to-store initiative makes sales in New York possible before the end of 2022. This initiative…
GOVERNOR HOCHUL SIGNS CONDITIONAL ADULT-USE CANNABIS CULTIVATION BILL Continuing the New York State Office of Cannabis Management’s momentum, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation creating a new type of adult-use cannabis license, the “Conditional Adult-Use Cannabis Cultivation” license. This license establishes a “fast-track” path for existing NYS hemp farmers to apply for a conditional license to…
ANOTHER BUZZKILL: THE ENERGY IMPACT OF MARIJUANA LEGISLATION IN NYS Even as Governor Hochul pushes to restart the stalled marijuana legalization momentum in New York State, there’s yet another roadblock to tackle: the growing concern over the environmental impacts of the budding cannabis industry. Tied primarily to indoor facilities, grow lights, fans, and irrigation systems…
MAKING ACESSORY DWELLING UNIT’S WORK FOR YOU Granny pods. Elder cottages. ECHO housing. No matter what you call them, there is no question: accessory dwelling units (“ADUs” for short) are a booming trend for affordable senior living (as well as a reliable source of passive income) in the Hudson Valley. These spaces traditionally function as…
AN IMPORTANT TIP FOR MUNICIPALITIES USING ZOOM FOR PUBLIC MEETINGS UNDER NYS GOVERNOR’S GUIDANCE Following Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.6, many municipalities are using Zoom to comply with the requirement that remote meetings be made available to the public. We want you to be aware of one potential complication of doing so. Today’s Daily Freeman…
Planning to cancel a public board meeting due to COVID concerns? You can conference call instead (but do it the right way.) A core principle of the Open Meetings Law (OML) is that public bodies must conduct public business in public. Amid widespread public health concern about public gatherings,that principle is adapting to the Coronavirus emergency….
A New YIMBYs (Yes In My Backyard) Perspective on Housing Recently, the New York Times published a very interesting and informative article by Conor Dougherty chronicling the efforts of a group of people in California to reexamine some of the common assumptions related to the need for dense residential developments in our communities. Mr. Dougherty…
MAKE OLD MAN WINTER YOUR FRIEND We are now officially in the dead of winter. As the effects of winter bring ever increasing utility bills and cold and drafty homes, it is comforting to know that there is some help available, especially for seniors, to cope with old man winter. The New York State Office…
Freshly Baked: Insight into NY’s New Hemp Laws Hemp may be a budding topic of interest in New York State, but the legal and regulatory landscape drastically changed as of December 9, 2019. On that date, Governor Cuomo signed legislation establishing a more streamlined regulatory framework for the growing, processing, and sale of hemp and…
NYSDOH Finally Releases New Hemp Regulations
NEW YORK STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RELEASES NEW HEMP REGULATIONS As with almost all areas of American society, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed ‘pause’ on anticipated regulatory changes to the New York State hemp industry. December 2019 saw new hemp laws that split hemp permits into defined categories with more legislation regarding quality standards, labeling requirements,…