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Farmers could soon start planting seeds for recreational marijuana

The conditional licensing bill passed by the state legislature last week still needs the signature of Gov. Kathy Hochul.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A bill designed to provide temporary licenses to hemp growers for recreational marijuana is still waiting for Governor Kathy Hochul's signature. 

After being passed by the state legislature on February 16, the President of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association says he expects it to become law. The bill would allow hemp farmers to temporarily grow adult-use cannabis after applying for a conditional cultivation license through the state office of cannabis management.

Those in the cannabis industry say this is an important tool to jump-start New York's legal market and make sure there is enough product to meet demand.

Also, the growing season is almost upon us.

"If they did not, if they did not do this right now, you would have all of these farmers missing the growing season, because we do have to start planting in the next two months," said Allan Gandelman, President of the New York Cannabis Growers & Processors Association.

"And everyone has to get ready for that. We have to have security in place, we have to get seeds. There's a lot of work right now that has to be done to even put a plant in the ground."

The growing season for cannabis in upstate New York starts between March and May.

"Then you plant them outside through the month of June and they start to become ready to harvest in September and October," Gandelman said. "Once they get harvested, they have to get dried, it has to get tested.

"It has to get packaged or turned into products like the gummies and different things like that, and so that can take an additional two months after the harvest season for all of the products to be manufactured."

Gandelman said there are about 200 hemp farms in the state that would be eligible for the provisional licenses if the bill is signed.

Attorney Ryan Stearns of Lippes Mathias LLP, sits on a cannabis team where he advises companies and related businesses.

As for the licenses, he said: "in order to qualify you would have had to have had a growing and processing permit prior to December 31, 2021, and for cultivation you would have had to grow or harvest hemp for two of the last four years. If you do receive a conditional cultivation license, you will have the authority to process and distribute cannabis."

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