New York recently approved 52 licenses that will give hemp farmers the opportunity to grow marijuana for the state's adult market. The State Cannabis Control Board granted the licenses under the Conditional Cannabis Cultivation Bill, which was signed into law. This bill also allows patients to grow cannabis at home, with regulations to be issued within six months of the bill's passing. Once the regulations are finalized, certified medical cannabis program patients will be able to grow up to six plants at a time in their homes.
According to the MRTA, New Yorkers (21 and older) can grow up to three mature and three immature plants in their residence. If there are multiple people living in a household, they can cultivate up to six mature and six immature plants. Regulators also advanced a rule last month that will enable people with previous marijuana convictions or those whose family members have been affected by criminalization to obtain the first round of adult marijuana sales licenses before existing medical cannabis companies. As soon as Governor Cuomo signed the bill into law, adults were allowed to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana (or 24 grams of marijuana concentrate) without fear of arrest or prosecution.
In addition to licensed medical providers, other growers are cultivating industrial hemp, a relative of marijuana that does not have the same THC level. This means it does not produce the same “high” as marijuana. Hemp is used for a variety of purposes, including making paper, clothing, and food products.
