NY governor orders probe of marijuana licensing program ‘disaster’ [Video]

• New York’s recreational marijuana licensing program faces evaluation following legal challenges and bureaucratic obstacles.
• Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered the review, aiming to expedite license processing and business openings while assessing the structure of the Office of Cannabis Management.
• Hochul, a Democrat, has criticized the rollout as a “disaster,” with only 80 legal shops opening since late 2022.

New York will evaluate its troubled recreational marijuana licensing program after lawsuits and bureaucratic stumbles severely hampered the legal market and allowed black-market sellers to flourish, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered Monday.

The review will focus on ways the state can speed up license processing times and allow businesses to open faster, as well as a top-down assessment of the Office of Cannabis Management’s structure and systems.

Hochul, a Democrat, has described the state’s recreational marijuana rollout as a ” disaster.” Just over 80 legal shops have opened since sales began at the end of 2022.

FEDERAL JUDGE …