CA and NY Officials Urge Black Friday Marijuana Purchases
- The California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) are encouraging people to shop for cannabis at licensed retailers as part of Black Friday deals, as a way to support small businesses and transition away from illicit markets.
- The regulators, via their social media platforms, shared posts that included links to help people find authorized marijuana vendors. These actions are part of an ongoing campaign to normalize the consumption of cannabis from regulated, taxed, and quality-tested sources.
- However, the officials’ encouragement to shop locally for marijuana could be challenging, as many cities and counties in both states have restrictions on operating cannabis businesses in their area, due to bans or slow licensing rollouts, which still contribute to the ongoing presence of the illicit market.
Marijuana Regulators Promote Black Friday Deals on Cannabis
California and New York’s marijuana regulators are advocating for Black Friday cannabis shopping at licensed retailers, supporting local small businesses. On the annual post-Thanksgiving sale event, the California Department of Cannabis Control (DCC) and the New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) posted on social media to guide consumers to authorized cannabis vendors.
California’s DCC encouraged the public to “shop smart, shop licensed cannabis.”
New York’s OCM shared a video featuring Empire State Development Commissioner Hope Knight, a member of the state Cannabis Control Board (CCB), urging support for local businesses this weekend to boost jobs and regional economic growth, including the marijuana market.
As the marijuana industry continues to grow in various states, officials are promoting the transition from illegal markets to licensed retailers, where the products are regulated, taxed, and tested for quality. The Black Friday promotion represents such efforts to normalize this messaging. Both posts provide links to local licensed dispensaries.
Earlier in the year, New York’s governor launched a public education campaign urging adults to buy their marijuana from licensed shops to ensure the products’ safety and boost equity and reinvestment goals.
Before Thanksgiving, Connecticut officials confirmed that marijuana businesses could stay open on the holiday, unlike alcohol-selling establishments. During the coronavirus pandemic peak, several states allowed cannabis businesses to continue serving customers despite other businesses’ restrictions.
However, shopping for marijuana locally in California and New York can be challenging due to prohibitions in many California cities and counties and New York’s slow licensing rollout, leading to persistent illegal market presence and difficulty finding cannabis shops.
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