Four years after New York legalized recreational marijuana, the state’s cannabis agency is still without a permanent leader. The Office of Cannabis Management has been vacant since Chris Alexander resigned last year, even as the market thrives with over $1.2 billion in sales, according to Spectrum News.
Felicia A. B. Reid has been serving as the acting director for the past nine months and has expressed her interest in the permanent position. However, she mentioned that she remains unclear about the decision-making process for the role. Although Governor Kathy Hochul has praised Reid for her contributions, a confirmation hearing must take place before the legislative deadline in June, and its timing is still uncertain.
In addition to the leadership void, the agency is looking to fill the position of chief equity officer and is planning to hire more staff to address application backlogs. Despite these challenges, officials are resisting Hochul’s proposal to allow cannabis odor as a basis for roadside drug tests, indicating ongoing debates within the agency regarding regulatory practices.
