Cannabis Control Board Public Comment Policy
The New York State Cannabis Control Board (CCB) agrees to accept public comments at the end of each meeting, following the completion of all official business unless otherwise noted. Comments are limited to two (2) minutes in duration.
Members of the public who wish to address the CCB at a regularly scheduled meeting are encouraged to pre-register via an online form that will be included in the published meeting notice for each meeting. Oral requests to speak made after the meeting has started will not be accepted.
The request to provide comment must contain the speaker’s name, title (if applicable), phone number, email address, organizational affiliation name (if applicable).
By signing up to participate in public comment, commentors agree to the following conditions:
- Speakers must arrive at the meeting location and sign in at least 15 minutes before the start of the scheduled CCB meeting. Speaking order will be reflective of the order of sign-in prior to the commencement of the meeting. Failure to sign-in prior to the start of the meeting constitutes a waiver of the Speaker’s right to speak at that meeting.
- Speakers will respect the time limitation of no more than two (2) minutes and will cease speaking upon indication from the OCM staff serving as timekeeper that their speaking time has expired.
- Speakers will not pool or split speaking times with other approved public Speakers.
- When recognized by the CCB Chair to speak, Speakers will speak into the microphone provided and begin their spoken comments by stating their full name, title, and the name of the organization they are representing, if applicable.
- Speakers may, at their own expense, prepare and present written material to the CCB members at the meeting, relating to the topic upon which the comments are being made. If pertinent to the business of the CCB or OCM, materials will become part of the meeting minutes posted to the OCM website.
- Speakers must address the CCB as a body and are not permitted to address CCB members or other public audience members individually.
- The CCB will not respond to questions or comments made during the public comment period unless a CCB member believes it is necessary to clarify presented information, correct a factual error, or provide specific information as a matter of public record.
- Speakers will make no statements during the meeting that involve personal, impertinent, or slanderous attacks on any group, organization or individual, a member of the CCB, a member of the audience, an elected official, a government official or employee, or a member of the public regardless of whether the individual sought to be named is present.
- Speakers will not use profane, vulgar, inflammatory, threatening, abusive, or disparaging language or racial or ethnic slurs and will at all times maintain a professional decorum.
- Speakers will not disrupt the meeting with loud outbursts, or other disruptive conduct or behavior either during the Speaker’s assigned time or at any other time during the meeting.
- Speakers understand that a failure to comply with the foregoing rules may result in early termination of the Speaker’s time, a directive to depart the meeting room, a denial of future requests to speak, and any other actions deemed necessary by the Chair of the CCB.