Two Additional Members Appointed to the Cannabis Control Board

By: Andrew P. Cooper, Esq., LL.M. and Terran Cooper

Less than two weeks following Governor Kathy Hochul’s initial appointments to the Cannabis Control Board (CCB), the CCB gains another two members. The state’s Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie selected Adam Perry, of the law firm Hodgson Russ LLP, for his appointment to the CCB. Additionally, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins selected former state Senator Jen Metzger for her appointment to the CCB.

Adam Perry is an attorney with expertise in the U.S. and Canadian cannabis industries. According to the Hodgson Russ LLP website, Perry concentrates his practice in employment-related litigation and has represented a broad array of employers, including nonprofit organizations, governments, and businesses in complex litigation, with a primary focus on employer/employee disputes of every kind. His practice reportedly includes “Cannabis & Hemp” and “Canada-U.S. Cross-Border” matters. “As we create the mechanisms and regulations around the newly legal cannabis industry, it is critical that we have people involved that are committed to our communities and to ensuring that the industry serves the people of New York.” Speaker Carl Heastie stated. “Adam W. Perry is deeply invested in New York’s communities, and will bring dedication to his new role and be an asset to the Cannabis Control Board.”

Former Sen. Jen Metzger is an Ulster County Democrat that has shown her commitment to community-level initiatives and passing legislation. While in office, 33 of Metzger’s bills were signed into law, ranging from initiatives to tighten the broadband gap, expand affordable access to telehealth and resource protection. Metzger had the following to say regarding her appointment: "New York is entering a new chapter with legalized adult-use marijuana that has been a long time in the making for our state," and "I look forward to ensuring this market is environmentally sustainable, equitable, and accountable so that New Yorkers can enjoy fair access to both the product and to the new economic opportunities it offers."

With these two selections by New York’s Assembly Speaker and Senate Majority Leader, the CCB is now two-thirds complete. An additional two members will be appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul at some point in the future. We are uncertain as to when these last appointments will be made, however it is now undeniable that the New York cannabis market is on the move. We still may not see the completion of the CCB until 2022, but Hochul’s commitment to doing so has many hopeful we will see a special session called before then.

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