New York State’s Marijuana Maven Is In Nevada, Learning About The Biz

CONEY ISLAND – State Sen. Diane Savino, responsible for much of the state’s marijuana legislation, went to Nevada to learn the cannabis business this week.

The lawmaker, whose district encompasses Staten Island, and a portion of Southern Brooklyn including Coney Island, visited DB Labs testing labs, according to her Twitter post. Savino also posted a photo with outgoing State Sen. Tick Segerblom Tuesday to tour Planet 13, the worlds largest cannabis dispensary.

“I’ve visited many states with both medical and adult-use cannabis markets in an effort to better understand what goes into a successful adult-use cannabis program,” said Savino.

The senator will visit businesses to learn what it takes to implement the concept in New York. Savino did not respond to inquiries about whether she has plans for a facility in Staten Island or Brooklyn.

“Nevada’s program, in particular, has been largely considered successful, so meeting with elected officials and stakeholders here gives me the opportunity to see what works so that we can try to replicate that success in the legislation that we hope to pass in New York,” said Savino.

The senator was the lead sponsor of the 2014 Compassionate Care Act, which legalized cannabis for medical purposes in New York State. Two years later, Savino proposed a package of bills to ease restrictions around the medical use of marijuana. In 2017, the lawmaker sponsored legislation to add post-traumatic stress disorder as a condition treatable with medical marijuana.

Early in 2018, the senator spoke as a panelist for the 5th Annual Cannabis World Progress and Business Expositions.

The lawmaker was on record for pushing Gov. Andrew Cuomo on legalizing medical marijuana as early as 2013. This year, during his primary run against Cynthia Nixon, Cuomo flipped to support more progressive marijuana laws. The state then launched a series of listening sessions to get public input on the legalization of recreational marijuana use in New York.

Two dispensaries are slated to open in Brooklyn before the end of the year. Citiva opens at 202 Flatbush Ave. located at the border of Park Slope and Prospect Heights.