No, a judge didn’t void all of New York’s legalized marijuana laws.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York’s cannabis industry was unsettled Thursday by a judge’s ruling that appeared to strike down all regulations governing recreational marijuana in the state. But a key portion of the order turned out to be a mistake.

The Wednesday ruling was amended Thursday to reflect a much narrower decision after cannabis growers, sellers and other supporters voiced concerns about the implications.

The decision came in a lawsuit brought by Leafly, a cannabis sales website, which challenged the state’s rules barring marijuana dispensaries from advertising on third-party platforms.

State Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant, in a strongly worded decision, sided with Leafly in declaring the state’s rules were arbitrary, capricious and therefore unconstitutional.

His ruling initially appeared to void not just the marketing and advertising rules in question but the state’s entire regulatory regime for being “unconstitutionally vague.”

The decision was later amended to show that the judge voided the state rules dealing only with so-called third-party platforms such as Leafly that help marijuana companies market and promote their products.

By then, multiple news articles had appeared saying New York’s entire system for regulating marijuana had been thrown out, and an uproar had begun. State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, who chairs the Senate’s cannabis subcommittee, was among those who quickly denounced the decision.

“Today’s State Supreme Court decision was another setback in a series of blows New York’s adult-use cannabis market has faced since legalization, three years ago,” he wrote in a statement. “While some changes to marketing regulations are needed, the decision by the Court to throw out all agency regulations will ultimately slow progress at a time when we need to more aggressively combat illicit shops to grow a stronger, more-equitable legal market.”

A message was left with a spokesperson for the state court system seeking more information about the initial, mistaken ruling. The state Office of Cannabis Management said it is reviewing the corrected decision.

New York’s rollout of legalized marijuana has been defined by a slow licensing process, legal challenges, a proliferation of thousands of illicit shops and a lack of substantial regulatory enforcement.

The relatively paltry number of licensed shops has also led to complaints from marijuana farmers that there aren’t enough legal sellers to handle their crops. At the same time, authorities have been working to shut down illegal marijuana shops that have popped up all over the state, particularly in New York City, as unlicensed sellers fill the legal vacuum.

Meanwhile Leafly, the California company whose suit sparked the uproar, said it looks forward to supporting New York’s marijuana consumers and businesses following the ruling.

“It’s impossible to overstate the importance of providing consumers with choices, and educational information when making purchasing decisions,” the company said in a statement. “It is critically important that licensed-retailers have equal access to important advertising and marketing tools to help them succeed in a competitive landscape.”

 

Panorama Hispano is the regional news and information newspaper for Hispanic and other diverse communities.

US Hispanics are now the largest ethnic minority in the United States numbering 54.2 million as of July 2014. Serving: Buffalo, Rochester, Fredonia, Niagara Falls, NY and Erie, PA. Outside our Market area: Visit our affiliate at: http://www.impremedia.com/

Contact us: Contact@PanoramaHispanoNews.com

Featured News

Jul 1, 2026
Ante denuncias de incumplimiento, Tribunal de San Juan ordena a Miguel Romero dirimir diferencias con la AAA

Pro Richard Colon Bonilla El gobierno municipal asegura que la corporación pública no procura que se cumplan los acuerdos establecidos […]

Read More
Jul 1, 2026
Progressives inflict big defeats on incumbent Democrats in US Colorado primaries

By Nolan D. McCaskill WASHINGTON, July 1 (Reuters) – Progressive Democrats delivered big upsets in Colorado on Tuesday night, with […]

Read More
Jun 29, 2026
The first Round of 32 in World Cup history is here. There’s a real debate over whether it will be good for the tournament

Welcome to the first full week of World Cup knockout matches, where dreams will be made and hearts broken all […]

Read More

popular categories

Featured (5,532)
Mundo Latino (2,124)
Locales / Regional (1,279)
Buffalo (2,155)
Dunkirk (1,704)
Rochester (1,669)
PA (1,258)
Negocios / Tecnología (1,093)
Tecnología y Science (220)
Salud (571)
Deportes (964)
Entretenimiento (816)
Extras (456)
Movies (232)
Viajes, Vida y Estilo (730)
Copyright © 2026 Panorama Hispano News. All Rights Reserved.
crossmenuchevron-downmenu-circlecross-circle
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram