BERKSHIRE, NY – Hemp farmers in New York State say they’re ready to start growing recreational marijuana now that the state is preparing to issue conditional licenses.
The Office of Cannabis Management announced recently that farmers who have been licensed to grow hemp and have been in good standing with the state for 2 of the past 4 years will have the first opportunity to grow adult-use marijuana to be sold in state dispensaries once they open.
Tricolla Farms in Berkshire is among 742 authorized hemp growers in the state.
Co-Founder Brittany Carbone says Tricolla is applying for the license with plans to build a greenhouse to germinate seeds in May that would be planted outdoors in June.
Carbone says smaller producers are relieved to finally have an opportunity to get a toe hold in the new industry.
“Right now, the only other producers are registered organizations which are the medical marijuana companies that are already existing in the state. Those are very large corporate entities. So, what the state has allowed is that opportunity for smaller farmers, for smaller businesses and for social equity applicants to really have a fair shot,” says Carbone.
Carbone says the state is taking a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to where the seeds come from.
And the hemp farmers are limited to planting one acre, either indoors or out, to ensure that there isn’t overproduction as there was in the early days of hemp.
She hopes to not only sell smokable marijuana flower to dispensaries, but develop tinctures and topicals under their C-B-D brand Tonic.
Last week, the O-C-M announced that the first dispensary licenses would be issued to people with backgrounds selling marijuana on the black market.
Similarly, O-C-M is developing a social equity mentorship program for farmers.
Carbone says she looks forward to working with people who have grown marijuana illegally in the past.
She says they have a lot to learn from each other.
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