RADIO WOODSTOCK HOSTS FIRST MARIJUANA FEST IN DUTCHESS

Cannastock drew more than 1,000 visitors to Poughkeepsie for Radio Woodstock. Photo by Kathy Kahn.

As a result of the 2018 Farm Bill, growing hemp ”” which contains both THC and CBD ”” became legal once again after being outlawed 83 years ago by the Marihuana Tax Act. Ironically, the Tax Act became law shortly after the release of the 1936 movie “Reefer Madness,” which has subsequently become a cult classic. Since New York is now awash with fields of hemp, the cannabidiol industry has taken off, prompting Radio Woodstock to host its first Cannastock Fest at the MJN Civic Center in Poughkeepsie on May 13.

Fifty vendors attracted more than 1,000 visitors to the afternoon venue. Recreational marijuana was legalized in New York in 2021 and the New York State Office of Cannabis Management is working as fast as it can to regulate the booming industry. To date, there are eight legal dispensaries across the state, with more to come as the complicated process to become a legal recreational/medical dispensary is tweaked.

The smoke-free event also attracted noncannabis vendors, including Dutchess Community College, which offers cannabis retail management classes; the NYS Department of Labor is making job postings, skills-matching services and consultation available, as well as Work Opportunity Tax credits to promote hiring individuals from target groups that include veterans and the Workforce Development Institute, which is participating in programs to help those interested in a career in cannabis. “The industry is growing and we”™re helping new business owners educate themselves and employees on how to be successful,” said Cecilia Walsh of the Cannabis Workforce Development Program. Cannastock is a prelude to what those in the Hudson Valley ”” and across the state ”” can expect to see as the market for THC and CBD products continues to rise. New York is the 15th state to legalize both medical and recreational use since California first legalized medical cannabis in 1996. It appears cannabis is here to stay, with New York now permitting private citizens to grow a limited amount in their own at homes.