Local News: January 24, 2024

- Tompkins County residents have a chance to get help with utility bills on Thursday -

Tompkins County residents have the chance to get help with their utility bills at an open house on Thursday. State lawmakers Anna Kelles and Lea Webb are hosting an open house at GIAC in Ithaca from 4-7 PM. People can find out if they are eligible for local, federal, and state programs that can help reduce their utility bills. Representatives from the power company and area organizations will be there to help people understand their options. To get help your utility bill, an ID, a copy of your benefits letter, which can be for social security, the HEAP plan, or other public assistance, and proof of your income like a pay stub or bank statement.

- State Cannabis Control Board canceled meeting where home cultivation rules were to be adopted -

You might think it’s legal for anyone 21 or over to grow up to 6 marijuana plants for personal use without a license, but it’s not. Yes, a law passed in 2021 legalized adult use of marijuana in New York State. And yes, it went into effect the following year. The Albany Times Union explains that to grow your own, the law says home cultivation can’t begin until the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has issued regulations for home-growing within “18 months of the first adult-use retail sale.” That first sale didn’t happen until December 2022. Earlier this week, the OCM canceled the state Cannabis Control Board’s monthly meeting where they were set to adopt home cultivation rules. They say they’ll address it in their February meeting. In the meantime, it is legal to buy pot seeds under federal law.