While New York State continues to position itself as a leader in cannabis equity, the experience of Brown Budda New York tells a different story. Despite being fully licensed and inspected by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), this small, Black- and woman-owned business remains unable to open due to the Town of Southampton’s ongoing refusal to act on a permit application submitted nearly a year ago.

Now, frustrated supporters, advocates, and cannabis entrepreneurs across New York are calling for direct public pressure—urging people to call and email Southampton officials to demand they stop blocking this equity business from operating.

A Licensed Business, Stuck in Limbo

Chef Marquis Hayes, co-founder of Brown Budda NY, invested more than $1.2 million of personal and family fundsinto launching a compliant cannabis delivery business in Southampton. The business received full OCM approval, passed inspection, and began paying rent on a compliant property as of October 2023.

Yet the Town of Southampton has failed to move forward on the special use permit required for final municipal sign-off. That application was submitted in June 2024—and since then, there’s been nothing but silence.

With no recourse, no timeline, and no formal denial, the business has been left to bleed cash month after month while remaining shut out of the market it was legally approved to enter.

The Equity Program at Risk

This delay raises deeper concerns about the effectiveness and enforceability of New York’s cannabis equity program. Brown Budda NY is one of many equity license holders struggling with local municipalities that drag their feet—or outright resist cannabis operations—despite state-level approvals.

As Chef Hayes put it:

“We followed every rule, passed every inspection, and invested everything into doing this the right way. Now we’re blocked by silence. That’s not equity—it’s obstruction.”

If equity licensees can be delayed indefinitely due to local inaction, the entire framework New York built to repair the harms of cannabis prohibition risks collapsing under its own weight.

Time to Speak Out: Call & Email Southampton Officials

To apply pressure, supporters are organizing a statewide call to action. Everyone who supports fair access, small business, and cannabis equity is urged to contact Southampton officials and demand that Brown Budda NY be allowed to operate.

Call the Southampton Supervisor’s Office: 631-283-6055

Email the Full List of Officials:
Copy and paste the emails below into your email client to reach every key official in Southampton:

mmoore@southamptontownny.gov, jortiz@southamptontownny.gov, joneill@southamptontownny.gov, jwilson@southamptontownny.gov, jburke@southamptontownny.gov, kmurray@southamptontownny.gov, cscalera@southamptontownny.gov, kgarvin@southamptontownny.gov, mmcredmond@southamptontownny.gov, kdoyle@southamptontownny.gov, scambridge@southamptontownny.gov, etrimarchi@southamptontownny.gov, ngentzel@southamptontownny.gov, dderner@southamptontownny.gov, miasilli@southamptontownny.gov, billpell@southamptontownny.gov, cmcnamara@southamptontownny.gov, tanderson@southamptontownny.gov, PGodfrey@southamptontownny.gov, shorowitz@southamptontownny.gov, ewarner@southamptontownny.gov, rmaran@southamptontownny.gov, jmcloughlin@southamptontownny.gov, mparsons@southamptontownny.gov, jfeldman@southamptontownny.gov, ekoehne@southamptontownny.gov, jduryea@southamptontownny.gov, taquino@southamptontownny.gov, kcowell@southamptontownny.gov, mzeesman@southamptontownny.gov, mfeldman@southamptontownny.gov, mforman@southamptontownny.gov, cestrada@southamptontownny.gov, rmanion@southamptontownny.gov, mreilly@southamptontownny.gov, rlinsalato@southamptontownny.gov, electricinfo@southamptontownny.gov, lfiorello@southamptontownny.gov, mchih@southamptontownny.gov, mrisolo@southamptontownny.gov, aGerhauser@southamptontownny.gov, dcange@southamptontownny.gov, smcdermott@southamptontownny.gov, cshea@southamptontownny.gov, KMeyer@southamptontownny.gov, tmasin@southamptontownny.gov, atrezza@southamptontownny.gov, prand@southamptontownny.gov, srace@southamptontownny.gov, kdougherty@southamptontownny.gov, jmckay@southamptontownny.gov, lgoree@southamptontownny.gov, jperini@southamptontownny.gov

What’s Next?

If the Town of Southampton continues to stall, it sends a loud message: that even licensed equity operators with full OCM approval can be frozen out with zero accountability. That’s unacceptable.

It’s time for real pressure, real accountability, and real progress. Let Brown Budda New York open. Let equity applicants operate. Let’s ensure that New York’s cannabis industry actually reflects the values it claims to support.