Gov. Hochul Commended for Swift Action Following New York’s Botched Legalized Weed Launch

Governor Hochul has rightfully criticized the Empire State’s legal weed rollout as disastrous — a fact that should be obvious, but not to the progressives who created this mess.

The Legislature, with former Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s agreement, implemented numerous “equity” requirements for legal-weed licensing, which led to lawsuits that further delayed the process.

The progressives at the Office of Cannabis Management have proven to be ineffective at getting things done, focusing more on office politics rather than efficiency.

Much of the legal action against the licensing process stemmed from OCM prioritizing certain mandates, such as favoring former criminals over law-abiding citizens, while neglecting others like preference for veterans.

Additionally, the law ended up benefiting illegal shops, making them difficult to shut down, leaving New York City with an estimated 1,500 illegal shops compared to only 38 legitimate ones.

The presence of criminal shop owners further adds chaos to a city already struggling with increasing violence and theft.

Governor Hochul is now conducting a 30-day review led by General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy to scrutinize the Office of Cannabis Management.

It’s time to hold these incompetent individuals accountable and replace them.

Some action is already taking place, as OCM has suspended its social-equity director, Damian Fagon, amidst allegations of shutting down a licensed shop for criticizing him.

While Hochul’s efforts to fix OCM are commendable, her initiative to empower law enforcement in cracking down on illegal operators is even more critical.

Her budget proposal includes granting local law enforcement the authority to close illegal shops, although some left-leaning legislators are opposing this measure.

Ultimately, revising the original legal-pot law is necessary to rectify New York’s flawed approach in establishing a legal cannabis industry.