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Eric Adams Says ‘Bring the Joints!’ in Support of Hochul’s New York Legal Weed Push

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Following the resignation of former Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor Kathy Hochul has promised to get the state’s adult-use cannabis market off the ground ASAP. Following Hochul’s push to fast-track the growth of the blossoming industry, Democratic mayoral nominee Eric Adams weighed in, with a succinct but self-explanatory declaration: “Bring the joints!”

Adams said at a news conference in Brooklyn on September 1 that he was “happy to hear” Hochul had picked nominees to head the state’s Office of Cannabis Management and Cannabis Control Board as part of the terms of the law legalizing cannabis that was enacted earlier this year.

Jokes aside, Adams is an ex-NYPD captain and non-smoker, and while he voiced the need to forge the path forward, saying, “You know, it’s time. Let’s get this done,” he issued New Yorks a word of caution regarding the reckless use of the newly legally substance:

“But let’s be smart in the process. We should not send a signal out to students, people who operate heavy devices or people who are doing and making decisions that are life-threatening or life-saving—we should not state it’s OK to smoke cannabis.”

Adams is also the outgoing Brooklyn borough president, and he referenced that he does not use cannabis last year. His office said Adams’ “Bring the joints!” comment was a “colloquial way” of saying he was ready to see the recreational cannabis regulatory system finalized once and for all.

Cuomo and the state Legislature first approved the law in March that legalized cannabis for adult use in New York, though he later was stuck in the middle of a dispute with the state Senate, so he didn’t carry forward in nominating an executive director for the new Office of Cannabis Management. He also didn’t name appointees to the Cannabis Control Board, even though the Marijuana Taxation and Regulation Act had, at that point, been passed months prior.

This essentially held the entire state’s cannabis industry in an idle grey area: Without the Cannabis Control Board, licenses and new rules can’t move forward.

Then, of course, Cuomo’s scandals came to a head, with a report detailing 11 substantiated allegations of sexual harrassment and sexual assault against the former governor. He announced his resignation on August 10, which effectively ushered in Hochul as the new state governor, and New York’s first female governor.

“No one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment,” Hochul said as she took office.

Hochul entered the new position emphasizing her different approach to cannabis reform, planning to make filling the state’s critical cannabis positions a main priority.

“Nominating and confirming individuals with diverse experiences and subject matter expertise, who are representative of communities from across the state, to the Cannabis Control Board is a priority for Governor Hochul,” Hochul’s spokesman, Jordan Bennett, told The New York Post. “We look forward to working with the legislature to keep this process moving forward.”

Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) said that Hochul indicated to them directly that she will move forward on all of the appointments for the Cannabis Control Board. Heastie said Hochul emphasized her commitment on multiple occasions, like another private meeting on August 9. “She did say that that was something that she wanted us all to concentrate on—and we agreed,” Heastie said.

The new legal cannabis industry is expected to generate up to $350 million a year in new revenue for New York.

Adams has shown support for other platforms of Hochul’s, like her plan for lawmakers to extend the state’s COVID-19 moratorium on evictions until January 15.

He also indicated his support for rolling back elements of the state’s bail-reform law. “We need to make sure that the policy isn’t getting in the way of public safety. If we don’t do that, we can create the crime wave that we’re witnessing,” he said.