Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Josh Stanley, self-proclaimed "cannabis ambassador," is pushing hard for a coveted license to sell medical marijuana in New York.
But he carries some baggage: the state of Colorado charged a weed company he used to own with not keeping track of its ganja.
Stanley's former firm, Nutritional Supplement LLC, settled the case by giving up its license. Stanley signed his own settlement with Colorado in December, a few months before applying for a New York license.
Stanley - now operating in New York as Citiva Medical LLC - is one of 43 operators hoping to win one of five licenses to grow, manufacture and sell marijuana in the Empire State. Several of them have political ties or colorful backgrounds.
The health department is set to pick the five in "mid-July," a spokesman said. The program will make the drug available only to patients diagnosed with serious medical conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's diseases.
Many of the applicants are listed only as limited liability companies with little public information about their backers. Some were formed shortly after the state announced the process for applying in April.
Some hired big-name lobbyists such as ex-U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato's Park Strategies, Mercury Strategies and Kasirer Consulting.
Medigro Organics LLC hired the firm Wilson Elser. Listing a lawyer's office in Rockland County as its headquarters, Medigro's partners have no experience with manufacturing weed. They're two local contractors, an excavator and a steel fabricator, who teamed with an upstate greenhouse owner, according to lobbyist Richard Lauricella.
"They're two businessmen just looking at this as a new venture," he said.
Two other players have powerful connections in state government.
Silver Peak LLC teamed with North Shore L.I.-Jewish Hospital, whose CEO is Michael Dowling, co-chair of Cuomo's Medicaid reform panel in 2011 and Mario Cuomo's health secretary. LIJ did not return a call seeking comment.
New York Medical Growers LLC, which is controlled by the owners of several city nursing homes, has in its corner Abe Eisner, who describes himself as Cuomo's "liaison" to the Orthodox Jewish community. He accompanied the governor on a trip to Jerusalem last August.
Two weeks ago, in an email obtained by the Daily News, Eisner wrote to an Israeli firm that manufactures medical marijuana and discussed working together "after we get our license."
In 2012, Eisner's mortgage firm settled federal allegations of charging higher interest rates and fees to black and Latino home-buyers. Eisner didn't return calls.
Then there's Stanley, whose former firm, Nutritional Supplements LLC, was targeted by the Colorado Department of Revenue's medical marijuana unit in June 2013.
On June 24 and 26, 2013, state investigators found Nutritional could not provide records of its plant count, patient records and visitor logs. In February 2014, Nutrional was hit with seven violations.
In August, Nutritional admitted to six violations and agreed to surrender its license.
Stanley says he sold his interest in the firm in July 2013, shortly after the violations were discovered, and had no knowledge of them. He says he disclosed this to New York officials weighing his Citiva Medical application.
He gave New York officials a letter, obtained by The News, from his ex-partner asserting that at the time of the violations, Stanley "had no ownership in (Nutritional) nor did he have any management control."
Stanley's medical marijuana license in Colorado expired in January 2014, and in December he signed a stipulation admitting to one of the violations and paid a $5,000 fine.
Colorado officials list Stanley as an owner of Nutritional through February 2014, months after the violations were discovered.
His spokesman, Mike McKeon of Mercury, says that's a "mistake," but Colorado revenue spokesman Thomas Moore said Stanley was "afforded his due process rights to a hearing for the purpose of disputing any findings reached by the division. In lieu of his right to a hearing, Mr. Stanley voluntarily chose to resolve this matter through a settlement agreement with the state licensing authority."
Stanley "took the best of two bad choices and paid the fine to settle the matter and move on with his life," McKeon said.
Then there's Kannalife Science, based in the Long Island home of Dean Petkana, a former stockbroker.
Petkana has been cited three times for securities violations by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He neither admitted nor denied the charges, but paid $14,000 in fines. He's also subject to an IRS lien for $40,000 in unpaid taxes.
On Friday Petkana blamed an ex-business partner for the FINRA problems and said he was "in the process" of resolving the tax issue. "These aren't violations of moral turpitude or fiduciary responsibilities," he said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 43 operators look for NY license to sell medical marijuana
Author: Greg Smith
Contact: voicers@nydailynews.com
Photo Credit: Michael Gallitelli
Website: Breaking, World, US & Local News - nydailynews.com - NY Daily News
But he carries some baggage: the state of Colorado charged a weed company he used to own with not keeping track of its ganja.
Stanley's former firm, Nutritional Supplement LLC, settled the case by giving up its license. Stanley signed his own settlement with Colorado in December, a few months before applying for a New York license.
Stanley - now operating in New York as Citiva Medical LLC - is one of 43 operators hoping to win one of five licenses to grow, manufacture and sell marijuana in the Empire State. Several of them have political ties or colorful backgrounds.
The health department is set to pick the five in "mid-July," a spokesman said. The program will make the drug available only to patients diagnosed with serious medical conditions such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's diseases.
Many of the applicants are listed only as limited liability companies with little public information about their backers. Some were formed shortly after the state announced the process for applying in April.
Some hired big-name lobbyists such as ex-U.S. Sen. Alfonse D'Amato's Park Strategies, Mercury Strategies and Kasirer Consulting.
Medigro Organics LLC hired the firm Wilson Elser. Listing a lawyer's office in Rockland County as its headquarters, Medigro's partners have no experience with manufacturing weed. They're two local contractors, an excavator and a steel fabricator, who teamed with an upstate greenhouse owner, according to lobbyist Richard Lauricella.
"They're two businessmen just looking at this as a new venture," he said.
Two other players have powerful connections in state government.
Silver Peak LLC teamed with North Shore L.I.-Jewish Hospital, whose CEO is Michael Dowling, co-chair of Cuomo's Medicaid reform panel in 2011 and Mario Cuomo's health secretary. LIJ did not return a call seeking comment.
New York Medical Growers LLC, which is controlled by the owners of several city nursing homes, has in its corner Abe Eisner, who describes himself as Cuomo's "liaison" to the Orthodox Jewish community. He accompanied the governor on a trip to Jerusalem last August.
Two weeks ago, in an email obtained by the Daily News, Eisner wrote to an Israeli firm that manufactures medical marijuana and discussed working together "after we get our license."
In 2012, Eisner's mortgage firm settled federal allegations of charging higher interest rates and fees to black and Latino home-buyers. Eisner didn't return calls.
Then there's Stanley, whose former firm, Nutritional Supplements LLC, was targeted by the Colorado Department of Revenue's medical marijuana unit in June 2013.
On June 24 and 26, 2013, state investigators found Nutritional could not provide records of its plant count, patient records and visitor logs. In February 2014, Nutrional was hit with seven violations.
In August, Nutritional admitted to six violations and agreed to surrender its license.
Stanley says he sold his interest in the firm in July 2013, shortly after the violations were discovered, and had no knowledge of them. He says he disclosed this to New York officials weighing his Citiva Medical application.
He gave New York officials a letter, obtained by The News, from his ex-partner asserting that at the time of the violations, Stanley "had no ownership in (Nutritional) nor did he have any management control."
Stanley's medical marijuana license in Colorado expired in January 2014, and in December he signed a stipulation admitting to one of the violations and paid a $5,000 fine.
Colorado officials list Stanley as an owner of Nutritional through February 2014, months after the violations were discovered.
His spokesman, Mike McKeon of Mercury, says that's a "mistake," but Colorado revenue spokesman Thomas Moore said Stanley was "afforded his due process rights to a hearing for the purpose of disputing any findings reached by the division. In lieu of his right to a hearing, Mr. Stanley voluntarily chose to resolve this matter through a settlement agreement with the state licensing authority."
Stanley "took the best of two bad choices and paid the fine to settle the matter and move on with his life," McKeon said.
Then there's Kannalife Science, based in the Long Island home of Dean Petkana, a former stockbroker.
Petkana has been cited three times for securities violations by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). He neither admitted nor denied the charges, but paid $14,000 in fines. He's also subject to an IRS lien for $40,000 in unpaid taxes.
On Friday Petkana blamed an ex-business partner for the FINRA problems and said he was "in the process" of resolving the tax issue. "These aren't violations of moral turpitude or fiduciary responsibilities," he said.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: 43 operators look for NY license to sell medical marijuana
Author: Greg Smith
Contact: voicers@nydailynews.com
Photo Credit: Michael Gallitelli
Website: Breaking, World, US & Local News - nydailynews.com - NY Daily News
