NYC is Wildin’ – Big Apple’s Weed Game is a Hot Mess, Hochul Pointing Fingers at Google and Yelp

Yo, peep this – New York just jumped into the legal cannabis game but they be facing some major issues, man. The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) been messin’ up big time, blamin’ it on their inexperienced leadership. They ain’t runnin’ like a legit government agency, more like a startup with some “mission-driven” vibes, causin’ all kinds of problems.

The biggest problems they found were the constantly changin’ licensing rules, shady processes, and no real way to enforce the laws. This ain’t just slowin’ down the legal weed market growth but also lettin’ illegal dispensaries pop up left and right.

Governor Kathy Hochul ain’t playin’ around, she started a review to fix the bureaucratic mess that’s holdin’ the agency back. She called out the OCM’s long-standing issues that been stoppin’ them from doin’ their job right.

Now, they tryna crack down on these illegal shops takin’ over the city streets. But with less than 120 legit dispensaries in New York, compared to a whole bunch of illegal spots, it’s a tough battle. The Mayor even tellin’ tech giants like Google and Yelp to stop listin’ these illegal joints online.

They tryna push for more social equity too, givin’ licenses to nonprofits and people with past weed convictions. But all these legal issues and red tape are makin’ it hard to make it happen.

The report showed how the OCM was strugglin’ to balance their social equity goals with their regular government duties. They got leaders who don’t know what they doin’, changin’ up the rules all the time and wastin’ money on stuff they don’t even need.

They got ideas to fix it though, like hirin’ more staff to speed up the process and makin’ it easier to apply for a license. They wanna hear from the community too, gettin’ feedback on what they need to change.

New York’s cannabis journey been one rocky road, dealin’ with management changes, legal battles, and a crazy number of illegal shops. But they ain’t givin’ up, Governor Hochul makin’ moves to fix the system and keep pushin’ for social justice in the weed game.

So stay tuned, cause New York ain’t backin’ down from this fight. They workin’ hard to make sure the legal weed industry thrives while keepin’ things fair and just for everyone involved. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride but New York is ready to ride it out till the end.