Joint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis.

In this episode of Joint Session, host Herb Barbot welcomes Joe Rossi, a prominent figure in New York's cannabis industry and founder of Modern Advocacy LLC. They discuss the evolution of the cannabis market in New York after 4 years of the MRTA, the challenges faced by licensed operators, and the importance of social equity in the industry. Rossi shares insights on regulatory changes, legislative proposals, and the future of cannabis in the state, emphasizing the need for effective implementation of social equity initiatives and the potential for growth in the market.Further Reading:- Office of Cannabis Management FAQ's- New York Empire State Development CAURD Grant Program- CNBC Article on Oscar's Gift Bag- California Cannabis Market Outlook 2024- Washington state University Clinical Trial Joint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with executive production and marketing by Simlev Media. Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover.Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you enjoy the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show. 

Send us a textIn this episode Herb speaks with Axel Bernabe, inaugural Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Director for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.  Axel, a partner at Manatt Health in NYC, was health counsel to former NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo.  In that role, Axel helped negotiate the groundbreaking Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act with the NYS Legislature.  Our Licensee Highlight segment features Paul Yau, Co-Founder of The Travel Agency (formerly, the Union Square Travel Agency).  In partnership with the nonprofit Doe Fund, this Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary is setting the standard for aesthetics, product availability, and delivery services.  It is also pioneering a retail branding concept in NYS cannabis.  Further Reading:Manatt Expands National Cannabis Practice With New York State's Top RegulatorThe Travel Agency Cannabis Dispensary Comes to Downtown BrooklynThe Travel Agency Arrives on Fifth AvenueJoint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media. Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

Send us a textIn this episode Herb speaks with Tavian Crosland, New York Director of the Social Equity Empowerment Network.  Tavian is an impassioned and thoughtful advocate for ensuring that the path to cannabis legalization and commercialization does not leave behind those communities and individuals who were disproportionately impacted by criminal enforcement.  Tavian, a former legacy operator, shares deeply personal insights concerning his own journey with cannabis.Our Licensee Highlight segment features John Vavalo, CEO of Central Processors New York.  John has long been involved in the legal cannabis market and is a leading advocate for processors and cultivators.  In this episode we learn about what a processor does, how cannabis flower is turned into the assortment of products found in dispensaries – farm to retail.     Further Reading:NY's cannabis equity officer stepping down in wake of investigation (timesunion.com)Tavian Crosland | The NationJoint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.  Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

Send us a textIn this episode Herb speaks with New York City Council Member Julie Menin. Council Member Menin represents New York City's District 5 which covers the Upper East Side of Manhattan, as well as East Harlem, Lenox Hill-Roosevelt Island, Carnegie Hill, and Yorkville. Council Member Menin's broad history serving NYC residents as the City's Census Director, Commissioner of Consumer Affairs, as well as Commissioner of Media and Entertainment, provides Herb the opportunity to have a wide-ranging discussion on the NYC's efforts adapting to post-prohibition cannabis.  Our Licensee Highlight segment features Sohan Bashar, owner of Silk Road NYC, an adult-use cannabis dispensary in Jamaica, Queens, NY. Sohan shares his deeply personal story as a Muslim, Bangladeshi, husband and father of two. Sohan discusses his path to receiving a New York State Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary license; “a dream come true”, giving rise to this episode's title. Further Reading:Julie Menin Claims Victory In Upper East Side City Council RacePeople to know in NY cannabis: Sohan BasharNYCRA Spotlight: Sohan Bashar of Silk Road NYC Is Ready To Get To WorkJoint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.  Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

Send us a Text Message.In this special two-part series Herb speaks with former NYS Office of Cannabis Management colleagues – Aaron Ghitelman, Benjamin Sheridan, and Matthew Greenberg. The group holds nothing back in a wide-ranging discussion reviewing events from enactment of the NYS Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act on March 31, 2021, through the following three years. In a conversation sure to raise eyebrows, this group brings the listener into the Office of Cannabis Management from the start of the agency until Executive Director Christopher Alexander's resignation in May of 2024. Further Reading:2021New York Legalizes Recreational Marijuana, Tying Move to Racial EquityNew York's Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (2021)Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigns over sexual harassment allegations2022Governor Hochul Announces The Office of Cannabis Management Seeding Opportunity InitiativeNew York Governor Announces ‘Seeding Opportunity Initiative' to Promote Social Equity in State's Adult-Use Cannabis MarketOCM Releases Cannabis Delivery Guidance2023Housing Works to Open 1st Legal Cannabis Dispensary in New York State December 29CAURD Social Equity Investment Fund Program FAQNY Restarts Cannabis CAURD ProgramCannabis Showcases are ‘a Lifeline' for New York Farmers Grappling with Glut2024How NY's Cannabis Grower's Showcase Became An Unlikely SuccessMay 2024 - OCM Assessment Final ReportCannabis Agency Head out Following Bombshell ReportNew York Cannabis Chief Resigns After CriticisPlease contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

Send us a Text Message.In this special two-part series Herb speaks with former NYS Office of Cannabis Management colleagues – Aaron Ghitelman, Benjamin Sheridan, and Matthew Greenberg. The group holds nothing back in a wide-ranging discussion reviewing events from enactment of the NYS Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act on March 31, 2021, through the following three years. In a conversation sure to raise eyebrows, this group brings the listener into the Office of Cannabis Management from the start of the agency until Executive Director Christopher Alexander's resignation in May of 2024.  Further Reading:2021New York Legalizes Recreational Marijuana, Tying Move to Racial EquityNew York's Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (2021)Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigns over sexual harassment allegations2022Governor Hochul Announces The Office of Cannabis Management Seeding Opportunity InitiativeNew York Governor Announces ‘Seeding Opportunity Initiative' to Promote Social Equity in State's Adult-Use Cannabis MarketOCM Releases Cannabis Delivery Guidance2023Housing Works to Open 1st Legal Cannabis Dispensary in New York State December 29CAURD Social Equity Investment Fund Program FAQNY Restarts Cannabis CAURD ProgramCannabis Showcases are ‘a Lifeline' for New York Farmers Grappling with Glut2024How NY's Cannabis Grower's Showcase Became An Unlikely SuccessMay 2024 - OCM Assessment Final ReportCannabis Agency Head out Following Bombshell ReportNew York Cannabis Chief Resigns After CriticiPlease contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

Send us a Text Message.In this episode Herb speaks with cannabis real estate attorney Kristin Jordan about Kentucky's medical marijuana applications, the impetus for creating the Asian Cannabis Roundtable, and the real estate challenges facing New York's cannabis market. Our Licensee Highlight segment features Reggie Keith, founder Buffalo's Canna-House, a premiere cannabis event club, lifestyle brand, and resource center. Reggie's community centered approach has positioned Canna-House for success now that he has received one of New York State's first microbusiness licenses. Further Reading:Kentucky to Open Applications for the State's Medical Marijuana BusinessCanna House focuses on cannabis education and using it in safe spacesCanna-House expands reach of cannabis industry with mentorship programJoint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news. You can now get 30% off a subscription to Cannabis Wire by going to CannabisWire.com and using discount code: CWJOINTSESSIONPlease contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

Send us a Text Message.The measure of injuries and fatalities on the country's roadways following cannabis legalization has been haphazard and inconclusive.  In this episode Herb speaks with Chuck DeWeese, former head of the New York State Governor's Traffic Safety Committee, former chair of the national Governors' Highway Safety Association, and founder/CEO of Connecting Clients Consulting LLC.  In addition to the results seen in longstanding legal jurisdictions, Herb and Chuck discuss new tools on the horizon to assist law enforcement in determining levels of impairment caused by cannabis consumption. The Licensee Highlight segment focuses on licensed cultivator and microprocessor applicant, William Leibee of Back Home Farms NY.  William describes his approach to sustainable farming under an organic management plan that practices crop rotation, cover cropping, without the use of synthetic chemicals.  Herb and William are joined by Mike Hassell, co-founder of Elevated Strategies, a consultancy assisting Back Home Farm NY.  Further Reading:2023 Patient and Provider Survey ReportJoint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news. You can now get 30% off a subscription to Cannabis Wire by going to CannabisWire.com and using discount code: CWJOINTSESSIONPlease contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

Send us a Text Message.New York State's cannabis program has been a magnet for lawsuits that have stymied progress in issuing licenses and growing the industry. Is the problem the agency's implementation of the governing law, or is it the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act itself that is the problem? In this episode Herb speaks with attorney Fatima Afia and covers the full range of lawsuits that have been filed against the NYS Office of Cannabis Management's adult use program.      Further Reading:New York's OCM distracted with over 20 lawsuitsState's cannabis office facing over 20 lawsuitsNew York hit with another lawsuit challenging marijuana social equityJoint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.  In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news.Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

In this episode Herb briefly covers news items from across the country, and locally in New York, where a major report in The City, by Rosalind Adams, detailed that OCM officials repeatedly raised alarms to Governor Hochul's team over private equity loan deal. Also, shuttered unlicensed shop owners joined to bring a class action lawsuit against New York City claiming the closures are unconstitutional.   In the first segment, Herb speaks with Vladimir Bautista, CEO and Co-Founder of Happy Munkey, LLC., an internationally known NYC lifestyle company that is synonymous with cannabis culture. Vladimir is a speaker that is highly in demand across the globe and on this episode we'll understand why.  Finally, in our Licensee Highlight segment, Herb speaks to Sandra Jaquez and Indhira Mojica, two license applicants who are also on the board of the Latino Cannabis Association. Sandra and Indhira are entrepreneurs who will share some commonsense wisdom with the State.  Further Reading on Our Guests and TopicsState Cannabis Officials Repeatedly Raised Alarms to Hochul's Team Over Private Equity Loan Deal, Internal Emails ShowIllegal Cannabis Shop Owners Challenge Adam's Crackdown on Unlicensed NYC Pot StoresHome Cultivation is Now Legal in NYS for Adults 21+Joint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.  In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news.Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

In this episode Herb describes his concerns with the turmoil at the NYS Office of Cannabis Management and how that might impact the momentum in the state's evolving cannabis industry. In the first segment, Herb speaks with Jennifer Cabrera, Esq., a partner at Vicente, LLP, a law firm focused on cannabis law and policy.  Jennifer's work with cannabis license applicants in NY and NJ provides us with the episode's possible subtitle -  “Jennifer's Guide to Opening a Dispensary”.  This is a must-listen for anyone considering opening a cannabis dispensary.  In our Licensee Highlight segment, we speak to the remarkable Leeann Mata, owner of the Brooklyn dispensary, Matawana.  Leeann describes how her brother's arrest for a low-level marijuana offense changed his life, and almost left her family homeless.  Today, Leeann, a single mother of three, has earned two degrees and is the first black woman to open a licensed cannabis dispensary in Brooklyn, NY.   Further Reading on Our Guests and TopicsNew York Cannabis Chief Resigns After Criticism from HochulNY Cannabis Management Leader Chris Alexander Resigns Early, Leaving Post UnfilledMatawana Is Brooklyn's First Black Woman–Owned DispensaryBrooklyn's first Black woman-owned dispensary opens in Park Slope, Adams vows to crack down on illegal sellersJoint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.  In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news. You can now get 30% off a subscription to Cannabis Wire by going to CannabisWire.com and using discount code: CWJOINTSESSIONPlease contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

In this episode, Herb speaks to acclaimed author, Daniel Okrent, about his book Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition.  Daniel served as the first public editor of the New York Times and invented Rotisserie League Baseball.  His book, Last Call, served as a major source for the 2011 Ken Burns/Lynn Novick miniseries Prohibition.  His most recent book is The Guarded Gate:Bigotry, Eugenics, and the Law That Kept Two Generations of Jews, Italians, and Other European Immigrants Out of America.In this episode's Licensee Highlight, Herb speaks with Sheldon Anderson, CEO of Public Flower Dispensary, in Buffalo, NY.  Sheldon thoughtfully reflects on growing up around cannabis and the opportunity that led to recently as he was awarded a NYS Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary License. Joint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.  In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news. Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

In this episode, Herb speaks to Jeffrey Hoffman, Esq. (Hoffman & Associates),  Jeffrey is a well-known cannabis attorney and advocate, as well as host of Ask Me Anything about Cannabis Legalization in New York Ask Me Anything about Cannabis Legalization in New York | LinkedIn.  Herb and Jeffrey run down the changes coming to NYS cannabis as a result of the recently negotiated Fiscal Year 2025 budget, as the State again attempts to deal with illicit operators and other issues.In this episode's Licensee Highlight, Herb speaks with Osbert Orduña, CEO of The Cannabis Place The Cannabis Place Dispensary Weed Delivery.  Osbert is one of NYS's first Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licensees.  A former marine and Service Disabled Veteran, Osbert has become one of New York's leading advocates on behalf of licensees. Joint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.  In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news. Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

In this episode Herb speaks to Dasheeda Dawson, founding director of Cannabis NYC and Jeffrey Garcia, Executive Director of NYC's Office of Nightlife.  They discuss NYC's support for those individuals and small businesses interested in participating in the growing legal cannabis industry.  They also discuss the expected economic benefits of what is expected to be the single largest market for cannabis, including tourism activity, and other activity that will be made available by onsite consumption opportunities.    In our second segment, Herb speaks to Wei Hu, Esq.  In addition to being one of NYC's top cannabis lawyers, Wei is a partner in the Lenox Hill Cannabis Company, a dispensary on the Upper East Side.Cannabis NYCOffice of Nightlife - SBS (nyc.gov)Lenox Hill Cannabis Co. – Lenox Hill Cannabis Co.Joint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media.  In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news. Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

In our premiere episode Herb speaks to NYS Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes.  The Majority Leader was the prime sponsor of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which created the adult-use market, the Office of Cannabis Management, the Cannabis Control Board, as well as the Cannabis Advisory Board.  In our second segment, Herb speaks to Beatrice Stein, founder of Hospitality Pathways, which is conducting a training course for “budtenders” to work in dispensaries.  Related Links:Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes - Assembly District 141Hospitality PathwaysJoint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis is produced by Herb Barbot, with additional production and engineering by Matt Patterson, with Rebecca Malpica producing our digital marketing/social media. In addition, thank you to Cannabis Wire for contributing our cannabis news. Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.

Welcome to Joint Session: Diverse Voices in New York State Cannabis.  This spring marks the 3rd anniversary of the signing of New York's Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which legalized adult-use cannabis and established what is expected to be the largest cannabis market in the world.  The rollout has already had its highs and lows.  New York became the first state in the nation to award licenses specifically to those who had been justice-involved, using this opportunity as a tool for equity. We have seen growers facing financial hardship.  We have seen multiple lawsuits that have stopped and started the licensing process.  And, maybe, the biggest issue of all, we've seen the proliferation of illicit stores throughout the state.  But hey, this is New York, so what did we expect? On Joint Session we will discuss these issues and hear from policymakers, legislators, thought leaders, licensees, advocates, and others interested in the state of the market.  We'll also have a dash of national and international cannabis news.   If you're interested in these cannabis conversations and want to hear stories from the frontlines of this exciting new industry, subscribe to Joint Session: Diverse Voices in NYS Cannabis wherever you get your podcasts.Please contact us at herb.jointsession@gmail.com if you have any questions or comments, including topics to cover. Follow the show on Instagram at jointsession.pod, and on LinkedIn at Joint Session Podcast. If you're enjoying the show, leave us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform. It helps new listeners find the show.