Debra BorchardtCannabis farmers markets will be back in business in New York. Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday signed Chapter 112 or Senate Bill 818 to resurrect the program, which officially closed at the end of 2024.
The law sets certain provisions for the sale of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products at cannabis showcase event, with permittees required to partner with cultivators in certain situations. An application for an event permit has to identify the cultivators and processors authorized to showcase at such an event.
The Senate bill was sponsored by State Sens. Michelle Hinchey and Lea Webb.
The new law also expands the definition of events beyond farmers markets to include stand-alone pop-up events. It also states that sellers can include branded merchandise and educational materials while displaying their wares.
Other new provisions laid out by the measure include:
- A separate cannabis showcase event permit shall be required for each licensee authorized under this chapter to conduct retail sales of adult-use cannabis and cannabis products.
- In the event a cannabis showcase event contains more than one permittee, each permittee shall nevertheless be required to partner with at minimum one cultivator.
- Each permittee shall be limited to partnering with no more than one licensed processor for each licensed cultivator authorized on their cannabis showcase event permit application
Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo sponsored AB 418, which was introduced in January and also addressed cannabis showcase events. This bill was substituted for SB 818 on March 11.
The state established the farmers market events to address the slow rollout of the legal adult-use program, which had been stalled by several lawsuits. Cultivators who had been encouraged to begin planting found themselves with harvested crops but no dispensaries for their products. Farmers markets were quickly cobbled together to give the farmers a place to sell their products.
Now the state certainly has more dispensaries open, but these pop-up showcase events will allow an additional outlet for the licensees.
