Last week, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Reuben R. McDaniel III and Jessica Garcia to the state’s new Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). McDaniel is the president and CEO of Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY), and Garcia is the assistant to the president of Retail, Wholesale Department Store Union (RWDSU).
The move comes just weeks after Hochul nominated former New York Assemblywoman Tremaine Wright for chair of the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) and former Drug Policy Alliance staffer Chris Alexander for executive director of the OCM.
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As previously reported by Cannabis Business Times, the five-member CCB will govern the OCM office, which is responsible for regulating the state's adult-use cannabis market and overseeing existing medical cannabis and hemp programs.
McDaniel and Garcia are Hochul's final appointees to the OCM board, and Hochul said in a press release that she is confident that the two "will serve the board with professionalism and experience as we lead our state forward in this new industry."
"New York's cannabis industry has stalled for far too long," Hochul said. "I am making important appointments to set the Office of Cannabis Management up for success so they can hit the ground running."
