Statement from Vireo Health of New York on Adult-Use Marijuana and the FY 2021 New York State Budget

The following statement can be attributed to Ari Hoffnung, CEO of Vireo Health of New York, one of only 10 registered organizations licensed to grow, manufacture and sell medical cannabis in New York:

“While we are disappointed by reports that adult-use marijuana legislation will not be included in this year’s budget, it is certainly understandable given the extraordinary challenges our state is facing combating the Coronavirus. We remain confident that legalization would not only help end the decades-long War on Drugs but also address the budgetary aftermath of the Coronavirus pandemic.

We look forward to reengaging on this important policy issue at the appropriate time and continuing to work with the Department of Health to make medical marijuana more affordable and accessible to New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet in the midst of an unprecedented economic crisis.

In the meantime, we remain deeply grateful to our physician-led team of more than 400 employees in New York and beyond — including cultivators, pharmacists, security guards, and delivery drivers — for leaving their families each morning and continuing to put the medical needs of their patients first.”

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Additional Information about Vireo Health’s Response to COVID-19 Pandemic:

• As one of 10 registered organizations licensed to grow, manufacture and sell medical cannabis, Vireo Health has been deemed an ‘essential business’ by the New York State Department of Health, Vireo Health is working hard to safely serve hundreds of medical marijuana patients each day by offering:
• home delivery service throughout New York City, Long Island, Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties
• curbside pickup at its four retail dispensaries located in Queens, White Plains, Albany and Binghamton
• virtual consults to patients online and by phone
• In order to protect patients and employees, Vireo Health has implemented a variety of enhanced measures, including additional cleaning and sanitation policies, new standard operating procedures, and workplace and patient distancing policies. 

About Vireo Health of New York

Vireo Health of New York is a physician-led company dedicated to providing best-in-class cannabis-based medications and compassionate care. Vireo Health is a proven leader in the field of medical marijuana. In December 2015, Vireo’s products became the first to be certified Kosher by the Orthodox Union. In addition to four dispensary locations in Queens, White Plains, Albany and Binghamton, Vireo Health launched the first medical marijuana home delivery service in the New York City area, now available throughout New York City, Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and parts of Suffolk and Putnam Counties. For more information, visit www.vireohealth.com/ny

About Vireo Health International, Inc.

Vireo Health International, Inc.’s mission is to build the cannabis company of the future by bringing the best of medicine, engineering and science to the cannabis industry. Vireo’s physician-led team of more 400 employees provides best-in-class cannabis products and customer experience. Vireo cultivates cannabis in environmentally friendly greenhouses, manufactures pharmaceutical-grade cannabis extracts, and sells its products at both company-owned and third-party dispensaries. The Company currently is licensed in eleven markets including Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, and Rhode Island.  For more information about the Company, please visit www.vireohealth.com.