ALBANY — It’s almost cliché to acknowledge the astonishing incompetence of the state’s Office of Cannabis Management. This agency has the task of bringing one of the world’s most coveted products to market, yet somehow it fails to do so. It provides compelling evidence to support libertarian arguments about government inefficiency and bureaucratic ineptitude. Is it truly this challenging to establish a network of marijuana dispensaries?
This incompetence was on full display during a Cannabis Control Board meeting on Tuesday, where angry farmers, processors, and aspiring retailers expressed their frustrations about the disastrous rollout of marijuana in the state. “Venting” would be an understatement to describe the rage and despair that were directed at board members.
A Niagara County resident named Jeanette Miller, who has 500 pounds of marijuana languishing and decaying, exclaimed, “This ruined my life. I feel like I’m going to hang myself.”
What will New York do to assist small farmers like Miller, who believed in the promises and trusted that the state would make it work? Unfortunately, New York plans to favor deep-pocketed medical marijuana companies in granting retail licenses. These companies, among other advantages, will be permitted to grow marijuana indoors. In other words, small farmers will be like a country general store next to a new Walmart — they won’t stand a chance.
Steuben County farmer Tess Interlicchia, who is also burdened with an excessive amount of unsold product, lamented, “We have lost millions of dollars. We have done everything right, and I can’t feed my children. I urge you to stand up for what is right so that you may sleep at night.”
Do the board members and other state officials have trouble sleeping? Do they even care about the mess they’ve created? It would be reassuring to think so, but there haven’t been many expressions of remorse.
These issues obscure the question of whether the state should be involved in the cannabis industry at all. I support the decriminalization and legalization of marijuana, but I found myself agreeing with the lawsuit filed by the Cannabis Impact Prevention Coalition. The coalition challenges the legality and ethics of New York’s efforts.
The coalition observes that the state is actively promoting a product that is not only federally illegal but also generally harmful to people’s well-being. While many things can be detrimental, including alcohol, that alone doesn’t justify their prohibition. However, there is a significant distinction between allowing adults to make their own choices about engaging in something unhealthy and using public funds to encourage it.
The lawsuit states, “The Dormitory Authority of New York will be financing the establishment and development of the marijuana trafficking operations that (state agencies) have named ‘adult use retail cannabis dispensaries’. Instead, DASNY would become the biggest marijuana trafficking landlord in New York.”
Here’s the catch, college kids! The same people who build your dorms have also opened a marijuana dispensary down the street. But, uh, don’t use it until you’re 21. Wink, wink.
The lawsuit highlights various foolish actions by the state, including a ridiculously worded tweet sent out on Mother’s Day by the Office of Cannabis Management. Here it is, untouched for added amusement:
“Mother’s across the nation have faced shame for their cannabis consumption, but anyone who knows a mom, knows it takes more than grace to get through the day. This #MothersDay, we want to end the stigma & share some insight. Tell us, how #NYcannabis has helped you in motherhood?”
That’s where your tax dollars are going, folks. I eagerly await the Liquor Authority suggesting that dads relieve the stresses of parenting with vodka shots, and the Gaming Commission recommending that families tackle their bills by visiting the state’s fabulous casinos.
Joking aside, the irresponsibility displayed in that tweet and other promotional efforts by the state raises concerns about whether New York is exposing itself to significant legal liabilities when the inevitable social consequences of all this hype come to fruition. Some of the anticipated billions in state revenue, which is the primary goal of these actions, might end up being lost to legal settlements akin to those faced by tobacco companies and opioid manufacturers.
However, this is not to say that marijuana is on the same level as those products or that it should be illegal. It shouldn’t be. But did New Yorkers want their government to replace the corner dealer?
