Senator Cooney Appointed Chair of New Senate Subcommittee On Cannabis

(ALBANY, NY) - Today, NYS Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers) named Senator Jeremy Cooney (D-Rochester) as the chairman of a new Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis. 

Senator Cooney has been a consistent voice for social equity with the MRTA legalization bill and ongoing rollout of adult recreational-use cannabis in New York State. He serves as Co-Chair of the Marijuana Task Force for the Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus with Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes. 

Since voting for adult-use legalization, Senator Cooney has introduced over a dozen bills to facilitate the safe and equitable launch of the new state cannabis market, including legislation that allows licensed cannabis businesses to deduct ordinary business expenses when filing state taxes, a potency tax repeal for recreational products, and a state excise tax repeal for medical cannabis. Senator Cooney was named a Cannabis Industry Power Player by PoliticsNY in 2021. 

As the new cannabis subcommittee chair, Senator Cooney hopes to provide an outlet for entrepreneurs, advocates, industry and citizens with an interest in the new marketplace, and serve as a connection with the NYS Office of Cannabis Management. 

I am pleased to see the adult-use recreational cannabis market begin to come online in New York, but there is much more to be done,” said Senator Jeremy Cooney. "From the beginning, the state legislature committed to doing the hard work of building the most equitable cannabis marketplace in the nation. I fully believe we can meet that goal. I am grateful to Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for her confidence in me, and I am eager to get to work with my colleagues serving on the new subcommittee to hear ideas from New Yorkers on how we can strengthen our cannabis marketplace.”

"I am proud to appoint Senator Cooney to the new Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis,” said  Senate Majority Leader Andrea-Stewart-Cousins.“As a consistent champion throughout New York's legalization journey, Senator Cooney has fought hard to ensure everyone is included in this burgeoning adult-use market. Drawing from his impressive work on safe-use regulation, restorative licensing practices, and economic development policies, I am confident that Senator Cooney will be an effective Chair and strong voice in this ongoing process. I congratulate him and look forward to working with the Committee."

“Senator Cooney understands the need to grow our economy through more economic development initiatives that will lead to job creation,” Said Paul Zuber, Executive Vice President, The Business Council of New York State. “He demonstrated that through his efforts to lead the way to treat the cannabis industry as a legitimate operating business in our state and advanced future employer’s opportunities for growth by decoupling the industry from federal provisions, thus granting them equal access to the same tax policies meant to promote in-state investments and job creation.”

“The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association congratulates Senator Jeremy Cooney on his appointment as chair of the Senate’s newly formed Cannabis Subcommittee,” Said Bryan Murray, Chairman of the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association. “We commend the Senate for creating a dedicated subcommittee to address important issues facing the struggling medical program and to help to oversee the state’s creation of a safe, equitable, and economically viable adult-use market. Senator Cooney has long been a champion of medical cannabis and has spent many years advocating for meaningful and necessary changes to protect patients and improve both equity and access to products that vastly improve the quality of life for thousands of New Yorkers across the state. We know the Senator will use this new platform to elevate the fight for smart and fair cannabis policies that benefit medical patients and adult-use consumers alike.”

“The success of New York’s legal cannabis industry is not only vital to our economy, but also the livelihoods of many local farmers, business owners, and communities disproportionately impacted by prohibition. Because of this, it should be a priority for our leadership,” said Allan Gandelman, President of New York Cannabis Association of New York (CANY). “By making the important and historic decision to not only create a subcommittee on cannabis, but to appoint Senator Jeremy Cooney as its first chair, the NYS Senate clearly understands this. Senator Cooney has long been an ally to the New York cannabis community and our mission to achieve the vision set out by the MRTA. He was instrumental in the pivotal 280E tax reform and the conceptualization and execution of provisional licensing for hemp farmers and, as chair of this committee, he will continue to be a fierce cannabis advocate and thoughtful leader. The Cannabis Association of New York commends our elected officials for taking this crucial step and congratulates Senator Cooney on this appointment. We are confident he will excel.”

“We congratulate Senator Cooney on his appointment as chairman of the new Senate Subcommittee on cannabis,” Said Toni Smith, NYS Director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “In partnership with people impacted by prohibition, advocates and lawmakers, Senator Cooney played a crucial role in the passage of the MRTA, one of the most ambitious marijuana legalization programs in the nation. With Senator Cooney in this new role, we look forward to continuing the work of establishing a legal market grounded in racial and economic justice.”

“Senator Cooney has a deep understanding of the work to be done in New York’s emerging cannabis sector,” said Kristen Jordan, Founder & President of the Board of Directors, Asian Cannabis Roundtable. It is critical the AAPI community has a seat at the table as New York strives to reach its equity goals. We look forward to working with Senator Cooney in his new role as he expands upon the work he has done, and continues to lead in the creation of an inclusive adult use marketplace. 

“As CEO and on behalf of the entire New York CAURD Coalition we are thrilled of the news that Senator Jeremy Cooney has been appointed as the first ever chair of the newly formed New York State senate sub committee of cannabis,” said Britni Tantalo, CEO, NY CAURD Coalition. “His continued dedication and support to the cannabis community and to the states social equity program has been a pivotal piece to building this emerging industry. Senator Cooney’s commitment to ensuring that the New York State cannabis industry is equitable and inclusive has been a true driving force for change, by amplifying the voices of the people within our communities. We are proud to have him hold this seat to continue to do the good work he is doing for people like us in the coalition.”
 

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