The license is valid for up to two years and allows a farmer to produce cannabis outdoors or in a greenhouse. The permits are limited to one acre of flowering canopy outdoors or 25,000 square feet in a greenhouse with up to 20 artificial lights.
New York’s Office of Cannabis Management will be responsible for developing the application process.
To qualify for a license, an applicant must:
- Have been an authorized industrial hemp researcher for the Department of Agriculture and Markets,
- Have been cultivating hemp for its cannabinoid content for two of the last four years,
- Participate in social equity memberships programs to provide training in cannabis cultivation, and
- Meet sustainability requirements.
Hemp producers are pleased to see the state government continue to support the industry.
Allowing cannabis production provides another avenue to run a successful business, said Jason Minard, general counsel and sales mediator for Hepworth Ag in Milton, N.Y.
“It's very refreshing that the lawmakers who pass this provisional bill and put it forth have recognized that New York farmers, specifically hemp farmers, need a profitable crop going forward to continue to help this industry thrive,” he said, Spectrum News1 reported.
New York isn’t the first state to allow cannabis cultivation.
In 2021, California distributed 7,548 cannabis licenses. Rounding out the top five were Oregon (1,319), Colorado (1,245) Washington (1,091) and Michigan (487).