Common Sense

I have been making the rounds through the world of politics, and it is not pretty. It comes down to money and lobbyists to get anything done. Each part of the system differs based on laws, rules, and regulations, but not on common sense. Common sense would be the antithesis of how the foundation of the cannabis industry was built.

Every week, it’s a different issue to deal with. Today, the OCM launches new rules and regulations for Cannabis Showcase Event Applications. This should be exciting, but like everything in this industry, it’s another level of frustration, forcing all of us to figure out how to make it worthy. These are the four top items to think about before even applying.

• Municipal approval is required before the Office can review an application.
• Events must take place at eligible locations, such as pop-ups or public markets.
• Applications must be submitted at least 45 days prior to the event start date.
• Approved events are temporary and location-specific.

Nobody is going to make real money at pop-ups or public markets (aka farmers’ markets). Taking 45 days to review an application is ridiculous. Has anyone in government ever thought about building an agent to get this done in 24 hours?

There is still no direction for indoor consumption, and what does that mean? Smoke, gummies, or drinks, or all three? In 2021, these are some of the laws that were created.

Prohibition: A cannabis retail licensee cannot sell alcoholic beverages, nor have a permit to sell alcohol, at the same location where cannabis products are sold.
Consumption Lounges: As of 2026, on-site consumption lounges are open, but they are not permitted to sell or allow the consumption of alcohol on the same premises.
Proposed Changes (2026): Legislation (S9220) was introduced in February 2026 that would allow existing licensed liquor and wine stores to obtain a permit to sell low-potency cannabis beverages (5mg THC or less).

Summer concerts throughout New York State are a perfect place to sell cannabis. Everyone is getting stoned as it is. But no, the heavy-handed alcohol industry made sure that would not happen, and considering there is no money in the cannabis industry and everyone is just holding on by the seat of their pants, the cost to change this is untenable. How do we get around that?

Why should licensed liquor stores be able to sell regulated THC drinks that can only be sold in dispensaries? Are they talking about hemp-based drinks that have been made illegal in the federal courts? Unclear, but I fear politicians will allow the alcohol industry to get what they want because they are well-funded with lobbyists.

The one thing the politicians might get behind is breaking up all the illegal distribution channels, particularly the underground ones that handle delivery. Why? It looks good for politicians to be forceful on this stuff in an election year.

The biggest caveat of all of this is that when cannabis becomes federally legal, all the NYS regulations go out the window, with a new set of guardrails, and lobbyists rule in Washington.

Has anyone considered that this industry is the next tax base as AI takes away jobs and taxes? Are there any politicians thinking ahead? Oops, that would take common sense.