 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                           917
 
                               2023-2024 Regular Sessions
 
                    IN SENATE
 
                                     January 9, 2023
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  Sen.  COONEY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
          printed to be committed to the Committee on Finance
 
        AN ACT to amend the cannabis  law,  in  relation  to  regional  cannabis
          mentors
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. The cannabis law is amended by adding a new section 19-a to
     2  read as follows:
     3    § 19-a. Regional cannabis mentors. 1. The office shall, within  thirty
     4  days  of  the  effective  date  of this section, establish and implement
     5  regional cannabis mentors to provide support to persons inquiring about,
     6  or participating in, the medical cannabis or adult-use  cannabis  indus-
     7  tries.    The office shall establish at least one such regional cannabis
     8  mentor within each economic development region of the state, pursuant to
     9  section two hundred thirty of the economic development law. Such support
    10  shall include, but not be limited to, any of the following:
    11    (a) providing information and advice to  applicants  for  any  license
    12  authorized  pursuant to this chapter, including assistance with complet-
    13  ing applications;
    14    (b) providing assistance to small businesses, including  minority  and
    15  women-owned businesses, in participating in such cannabis industries;
    16    (c)  providing  information  and  advice  to any municipality or other
    17  governmental entity on the effects of the provisions  of  this  chapter;
    18  and
    19    (d) providing information and advice to any person inquiring about the
    20  implementation of this chapter, including any future statutory and regu-
    21  latory changes to this chapter.
    22    2.  The  office  shall  establish  and maintain such regional cannabis
    23  mentors using any existing or future appropriations to  the  office  for
    24  the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this chapter.
    25    3. Each regional cannabis mentor shall provide assistance by electron-
    26  ic  and telephonic means. Such information shall be posted conspicuously
    27  on the office's website.
    28    § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD02573-01-3
Relates to regional cannabis mentors

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