A 8811: Establishes the "small cannabis farmer relief act" to allow certain cultivators to expand their canopy.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8811 2025-2026 Regular Sessions  IN ASSEMBLY June 9, 2025 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. LUPARDO -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Economic Development AN ACT to amend the cannabis law, in relation to establishing the "small cannabis farmer relief act"; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "small 2 cannabis farmer relief act". 3 § 2. The cannabis law is amended by adding a new section 68-c to read 4 as follows: 5 § 68-c. Limited canopy expansion. 1. (a) Notwithstanding any 6 provision of law to the contrary, any licensee who qualifies as a 7 distressed farmer and legally cultivated cannabis during the two thou- 8 sand twenty-two or two thousand twenty-three calendar year shall be 9 eligible to expand their canopy as provided in this subdivision. 10 (b) Licensees shall be eligible to expand their cultivation canopy to 11 up to twice the maximum square footage cultivated in two thousand twen- 12 ty-two or two thousand twenty-three, provided that the expanded area 13 shall not exceed the maximum limits established by the corresponding 14 cultivation tier. 15 (c) Verification of canopy cultivated in two thousand twenty-two or 16 two thousand twenty-three shall be submitted to the office in a form 17 prescribed by the office. Denials of applications under this subdivision 18 may be appealed to the cannabis control board. 19 (d) No additional fees shall be assessed for canopy expansions author- 20 ized pursuant to this subdivision, including standard license renewal 21 fees. 22 (e) Microbusiness licensees who previously held an adult-use condi- 23 tional cultivator license shall also be eligible for canopy expansion 24 under this section. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD13242-04-5 
 A. 8811 2 1 2. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, no licensee shall 2 be authorized to expand their canopy beyond the maximum cultivation 3 canopy size currently permitted under this chapter and any rules or 4 regulations promulgated thereunder. 5 3. Any canopy expansion pursuant to this section shall remain subject 6 to compliance with all applicable environmental, security, and testing 7 regulations. 8 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire December 9 31, 2028 when upon such date the provisions of this act shall be deemed 10 repealed.