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Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that the State Senate confirmed Tremaine Wright as Chair of New York’s Cannabis Control Board (CCB) and Christopher Alexander as Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). The confirmations were made during an extraordinary session of the New York State Legislature, and these are the two first confirmed nominees of Governor Hochul’s administration. The Cannabis Control Board and Office of Cannabis Management will create and implement a comprehensive regulatory framework for New York’s cannabis industry, including the production, licensing, packaging, marketing and sale of cannabis products.

The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA), passed on March 31, 2021, sets out one of the nation’s most comprehensive and progressive legal frameworks for the regulation of the adult-use, medical and hemp industries, with a focus on ensuring the greatest possible participation by communities historically impacted by prohibition. The law calls for a five member board to oversee the creation and implementation of the OCM and contemplates the appointment of a Chief Equity Officer charged with developing a social equity plan designed to facilitate and support participation by social equity applicants. The MRTA also limits the number of licenses that can be owned by one company and prohibits the vertical integration of production and retail services, further ensuring that small businesses have an opportunity to compete in the new market.