John Schlia
/
WXXI News
March 31, 2025 will mark four years since New York legalized recreational cannabis. But the roll-out was anything but smooth.
Lawsuits stalled the granting of retail licenses, farmers who were granted a first crack at the marketplace were left sitting on literal tons of weed, and the state was left scrambling to crack down on a flourishing black market.
But now, many of those growing pains have finally been quelled, and the industry passed the $1 billion mark in sales for the first time in 2024.
Guest host Gino Fanelli leads a discussion about where legal pot has been, and where it's headed.
Our guests:
- Felicia Reid, deputy executive director and acting executive director of the NYS Office of Cannabis Management
- Zach Sarkis, co-founder and executive director of NY HempLab, and founder of FLWR City Collective
- Britni Tantalo, co-founder of the New York Cannabis Retailers Association and co-owner of Flower City Dispensary
- Jayson Tantalo, co-founder of the New York Cannabis Retailers Association and co-owner of Flower City Dispensary
