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New York's 1st legal marijuana crop sprouts under the sun

New York's recreational marijuana market is beginning to sprout, literally, with thin-leafed plants stretching toward the sun in farms around the state.

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A lifelong athlete, Popolizio seems like an unlikely cannabis farmer. He has never puffed a joint or chewed an edible. But the amateur wrestling coach and promoter added cannabis to the mix at Homestead, along with beef, turkeys and chickens. And he's begun to appreciate the potential benefits of cannabis for adults. "I'm open-minded, and I've come to understand that there is value," he said. The inclusion of smaller farmers also helps the state meet its mandate to create an economically and demographically diverse marijuana industry. Similarly, the first licenses to sell recreational marijuana in New York will go to those with marijuana-related convictions or their relatives. "There's a market that we're building for small players, for big players, for medium-sized players, for family businesses, for big corporations as well," said Chris Alexander, executive director of state's Office of Cannabis Management.