In Albany, the first-ever Senate public hearing on the state's rollout of cannabis and its legal retail access commenced this morning.

Chris Alexander, the executive director of the state's Office of Cannabis Management, provided testimony before Senate Subcommittee on Cannabis.

The hearing also featured testimonies from cannabis cultivators, processors, and retailers – both applicants and licensed individuals.

Among those who testified were the owners of Orange County Cannabis in Wawayanda and Woodbury's Big Gas Dispensary.