NEW YORK (WKBW) — New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday the application portal is now open for New York hemp farmers who are seeking a license to grow adult-use cannabis.
The opening of the application portal is part of the governor's Seeding Opportunity Initiative, "which will position individuals with prior cannabis-related criminal offenses to make the first adult-use cannabis sales with products grown by New York farmers," according to the governor's office.
Conditionally licensed cannabis farmers must meet the following requirements:
- Safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly cultivation practices
- Participation in a social equity mentorship program
- Enter into a labor peace agreement with a bona fide labor organization
New York is moving full speed ahead to create the most inclusive adult-use cannabis industry in the nation through our Seeding Opportunity Initiative. This initiative will create meaningful opportunities for economic empowerment for New York farmers and impacted communities. Now that our application portal is open, I encourage every eligible New York farmer to participate in the farm-to-sale pipeline that will create jobs and opportunity throughout the Empire State.
With a conditional adult-use cannabis cultivation license, farmers can grow outdoors or in a greenhouse for up to two years from the issuance of the license and it allows them to manufacture and distribute cannabis flower products without holding an adult-use processor or distributor license until June 1, 2023.
"To qualify for an Adult-use Cannabis Conditional Cultivator License, an applicant must have been an authorized industrial hemp research partner for the Department of Agriculture and Markets, cultivating hemp for its non-intoxicating cannabinoid content for at least two of the past four years and in good standing as of December 31, 2021, when the research program ended. Farmers who apply will pay a non-refundable $2,000 application and licensing fee, and applicants are strongly encouraged to read the program guidance before applying," a release says.
