NEW YORK • CANNABIS • HEMP • MARIJUANA EXPERT WITNESS

Ted Menadier provides expert witness services in New York cannabis, marijuana, and hemp matters involving cultivation practices, crop valuation, market pricing analysis, business interruption, and industry standards. Ted is available for retention in New York cannabis, hemp, and marijuana matters involving litigation support, insurance claims, and consulting engagements. New York legalized adult-use cannabis through the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) in 2021, with the market overseen by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). New York's rollout has been one of the most complex in the nation, marked by licensing delays, court challenges, and a persistent unlicensed market operating alongside regulated dispensaries.

New York's cannabis market is shaped by the tension between its large legacy market, an extensive hemp industry, and a regulated commercial sector that has been slow to fully launch. This dynamic has created disputes involving crop loss and valuation, business interruption, hemp vs. marijuana classification, CAURD license disputes, economic damages from regulatory delays, and the valuation of cannabis crops and production output operating in an uncertain regulatory environment. New York's strong agricultural regions — including the Hudson Valley and western New York — also generate hemp cultivation and crop loss disputes involving outdoor and greenhouse operations.

Areas of Expertise

• Crop and yield loss valuation for cannabis and hemp operations

• Business interruption and lost income calculations

• Cannabis and marijuana cultivation standard of care review

• Certificate of Analysis (COA) and potency testing review

• Hemp compliance and cannabinoid threshold determinations

• Hemp-to-marijuana classification and THC disputes

• Cannabis genetics, breeding, and clone propagation

• Nursery operations and facility assessment

• Seed-to-sale and track-and-trace records review

• Accepted cannabis industry standards and practices

Services Provided

• Case evaluation and litigation consulting

• Written expert reports

• Deposition testimony

• Trial testimony

• Economic damages and loss calculations

• Industry standards and compliance-context review

• Cultivation and production practices assessment

Cannabis Expert Analysis and Testimony for Criminal Matters

New York's large unlicensed cannabis market — which has persisted alongside the state's slow regulated rollout — means criminal cases involving unlicensed cultivation, distribution, and retail operations remain common in both state and federal courts. New York City alone has seen hundreds of unlicensed cannabis retail operations, and cultivation matters involving plant counts, yield estimates, and production capacity continue to arise statewide. I provide expert analysis and testimony to help attorneys, judges, and juries understand the technical realities of cannabis cultivation and production in New York's unique market environment.