(Corrects title to say rules are invalid)
Diana Novak Jones
(Reuters) – A New York state judge late on Thursday sharply scaled back his ruling from the previous day that invalidated most of the state’s cannabis regulations in a case challenging marijuana advertising rules.
New York Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant issued an amended ruling Thursday that struck down only the rules related to cannabis marketing.
A judge in Albany, New York, issued a sweeping order Wednesday that invalidated a series of state regulations put forward by New York’s Office of Cannabis Management governing the licensing, operation and marketing of cannabis businesses.
A judge on Wednesday criticized the Office of Cannabis Control and the New York Cannabis Control Board for a lawsuit brought by cannabis website Leafly Holdings, saying they provided no evidence or rationale to explain how the rules were developed. The amended order did not change his argument for overturning the rules.
Leafly sued over rules that prohibit pharmacies from advertising on third-party platforms.
A spokesman for the New York Attorney General’s Office, which defended the rules in court, referred questions about the decision to the state’s Office of Cannabis Management. That office did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the amended order was listed.
Leafly said in a statement ahead of the amended order’s publication that it is important that licensed operators have access to advertising tools that will help them succeed, and that the company hopes the order will “ultimately lead to a healthy and stable adult-use market in state”.
Leafly did not immediately respond to a request for comment after the order was amended.