Speaker Heastie Announces Appointment of Adam W. Perry to the Cannabis Control Board

Speaker Carl Heastie today announced that he has appointed Adam W. Perry to serve on the Cannabis Control Board.

“As we create the mechanisms and regulations around the new legal cannabis industry, it is critical that we have people involved that are committed to our communities and to ensuring that the industry serves the people of New York,” Speaker Heastie said. “Adam W. Perry is deeply invested in New York’s communities, and will bring that dedication to his new role and be an asset to the Cannabis Control Board.”

“I am proud that Adam Perry, a dedicated member of the Buffalo community, is the Assembly’s appointee to the Cannabis Control Board,” Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes said. “We fought so long and so hard to pass historic legislation that ensures marijuana justice and invests in the lives and communities of those who suffered for generations. Now, the focus is on implementation and that means having the right people on the Control Board. I believe Adam will work to uphold those principles in his new role.”

“It is an honor to be appointed by the Speaker to the Cannabis Control Board,” Adam W. Perry said. “This is an historic moment where we get to shape from the ground up a new industry in our state, where we can make sure there is social equity and fairness. I look forward to getting to work.”

Mr. Perry is a partner at Hodgson Russ LLP where he focuses on employment litigation, and has represented nonprofits, governments and businesses in state and federal courts. Mr. Perry has deep roots in Buffalo, having attended Erie County Community College and the University at Buffalo, and currently serves as a board member and chair of Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Aviation Committee, as well as chair of the Citizen Planning Council. He graduated from the University of Michigan Law School.

The Cannabis Control Board was created earlier this year under the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which legalized the adult use of marijuana in New York. The board will have exclusive ability to issue licenses and permits, as well as regulate and enforce provisions related to medical cannabis, adult-use cannabis and cannabinoid hemp, and establish other programs such as public health and education. They will also be tasked with developing and implementing a social equity plan to ensure that individuals previously harmed by drug laws, MWBEs, distressed farmers and service-disabled veterans are able to participate in the legal cannabis industry.