Assemblyman Josh Jensen (R,C,I-Greece) is calling for greater oversight of New York’s new cannabis industry, including mandatory guidelines regarding product tracking and elimination of ambiguity around who is responsible for the inspections of cannabis facilities and products. As marijuana is now legal in New York, Jensen believes it’s critical the state ensures that no cannabis produced by license holders is being sold on the black market and that there is greater clarity in place on who is responsible for the safety of products and facilities.

Jensen is planning to introduce legislation that will require local municipalities and county boards of health to be responsible for inspections related to cannabis facilities, with costs to be reimbursed by the state Office of Cannabis Management. The bill would make “seed to sale” tracking mandatory, in order to assist state and local governments with collecting taxes, enforcing regulations and verifying sales and distributions to ensure legal sale of all cannabis products.

“Now that the use and sale of marijuana is set to be legal and the state has begun issuing licenses, we have to handle it responsibly and safely,” said Jensen. “Without set guidelines in place on who will be responsible for the inspections of marijuana facilities and food-grade products, as well as the assurance that every aspect of the industry is operating in the legal marketplace, we risk the continued sale of marijuana through the black market, inappropriate community uses and inconsistent oversight by New York State.”