Q&A
Progress and challenges in New York City's cannabis industry
0:44:17
·
3 min
Council Member Bottcher and Commissioner Kim discuss the overall state of the cannabis industry in New York City, including its potential as a global leader and the challenges it faces.
- The industry is seen as a significant economic opportunity for New Yorkers
- Unlicensed shops are identified as a major challenge for legal businesses
- The city is providing education and support for various types of cannabis-related businesses, not just retail
Erik D. Bottcher
0:44:17
How would you say it's going writ large with respect making New York City a global leader in the cannabis industry.
Kevin Kim
0:44:29
The cannabis industry we know is a tremendous economic opportunity for a lot of New Yorkers.
0:44:37
At the same time, I think we know that for the legal businesses to survive to thrive that the unlicensed shops need to really be handled and to be dealt with in the proper ways.
0:44:56
And so we know that the cannabis industry is something that all eyes in the world are on us because we will become the global leader And with Deshida Dawson's expertise, we've been navigating through some of the challenges that some of these lawsuits that were filed on the state level have created.
0:45:17
But we've helped over a thousand people understand how to apply what the opportunities will be and just understand the nature of the various licenses because it's not just a retail license like you might have.
0:45:31
They have 9 different licenses and people don't realize that you don't always have to even touch the plant to be in the business.
0:45:38
You can be part of the delivery business or the security business.
0:45:42
Right?
0:45:42
So businesses that don't require to either grow or sell directly these plans.
0:45:46
So these are the education outreach efforts that we've been working on.
Erik D. Bottcher
0:45:51
And so it's fair to say that the the promise that this industry has, the the promise for filling the promise of addressing the harms that cannabis prohibition had.
0:46:07
That's being really held back by the unlicensed shops and the unlicensed industry.
Kevin Kim
0:46:17
I think it's difficult for me here sitting as SBS Commissioner.
0:46:21
I might have my own personal thoughts.
0:46:22
But as SBS Commissioner, I would say that, you know, we've been working very closely with the office cannabis management to really try to support our legal businesses, not only is the license important, but they also understand have to understand they're actually running a business.
0:46:40
And so from that end, we've been able to provide them with so many of our free resources, compliance advisory, and all the things that we do.
0:46:49
And so in in that towards that end as more and more licensed cannabis businesses come online, We've been already in touch with many of them, helping them get to that point.
0:47:03
But even once they're there, we'll continue to support them with all of our free business services.
Erik D. Bottcher
0:47:08
I'm very happy to hear that the funding is sufficient, that the headcount is constant.
0:47:14
Because to me, this unit and your efforts are so important to ensuring that we do fulfill the promise that is there by cannabis legalization, and that we do ensure that legalization of cannabis benefits the communities that were so disproportionately harmed for so many years.
0:47:39
So thank you for your efforts.
Kevin Kim
0:47:41
Thank you.