Challenges Faced by Legal Marijuana Farmers in New York
According to a recent report by AFP, authorities in New York state granted Marcos Ribeiro the legal right to grow marijuana, leading him to believe he had hit the jackpot. However, when his marijuana plants flourished, he, like many other marijuana growers, was clueless about how to handle the harvest.
The farmer cultivating a strain of cannabis called "Blue Dream" in a greenhouse on New York Island has successfully grown plants that are lush and vibrant, with each plant yielding up to one kilogram of cannabis flowers.
After two years of marijuana cultivation, Marcos Ribeiro invested "hundreds of thousands of dollars" but the official marijuana market, expected to stimulate a market of billions of dollars, suffered a major setback.
All the marijuana buds have matured, but there is nowhere to sell them," he sighed. He is not the only one facing this dilemma. There are over 200 marijuana growers in New York State, but only 23 shops are authorized to legally sell marijuana. With over 20 million residents in New York State, extending all the way up to Canada, the figures reveal that around 1.6 million adults admit to having used this kind of mind-altering drug.
Local cannabis organizations have issued warnings, highlighting the potential financial strain that cannabis growers may face due to the inability to sell their output. Some even predict losses reaching millions of dollars.
To tackle this issue, the government of New York State has planned to issue at least one thousand licenses within the coming months. However, in response to market demand, some unlicensed vendors have also started selling marijuana, resulting in an aroma of cannabis permeating the air in New York State. In response, Marcos Ribeiro has taken the approach of shifting towards selling products related to marijuana oil, such as popular edible cannabis-infused chewing gum.
We want to provide relief to our marijuana growers," said John Kagia, Policy Director at the New York State Cannabis Control Office.
However, the current market situation seems to not have improved the dilemma faced by Marcos Ribeiro and other legitimate growers, as they are still waiting for viable market channels. In this uncertain scenario, the only option is to hope and strive to find a path for change.
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