Buffalo, NY (WBEN) Developers of the Flora Buffalo facility in South Buffalo say they're thrilled to hear Governor Cuomo's plan to legalize recreational marijuana as part of his State of the State. Regardless of what happens, executives say they're committed to building a business here.
The proposal calls for the creation of a new Office of Cannabis Management that would oversee recreational use as well as existing medical use. It also would offer licensing opportunities for those in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by law enforcement efforts against marijuana to become entrepreneurs in the new recreational market.
"We're excited and eagerly awaiting legislation to be passed, hopefully this session," says Brad Termini of Flora Buffalo. He says he's optimistic this will be the year marijuana will be legalized.
Termini says he's developing a comprehensive cannabis campus in South Buffalo that would entail cultivation, manufacturing, extraction, and processing of products, bringing a lot of new industry jobs into the area. "The project, at full build-out, will be upwards of 1 million square feet. It will be a combination of cultivation space, manufacturing space, and we've contemplated an educational component where students can come and learn and get trained in the industry. Then, they'd be placed into well-paying jobs in the industry," says Termini.
Termini says he's been trying to stay in touch with lawmakers about his plans and making everyone aware how eager he is to begin construction on the project. But he will not try to guess what will be legalized. "Our position is we are eagerly awaiting legislation to be passed, and whatever form is passed, we'll put forth our business plans," says Termini. "We'll pivot or adapt based on what's passed."
This is the third straight year Cuomo has tried to pass marijuana legalization.
