Chris Alexander: 3 Things I Can't Smoke Without

Chris Alexander is the founding Executive Director of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management and the lead drafter of the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) — the law that legalized adult-use cannabis in New York. He led OCM through the launch of the state's regulated market and remains one of the most respected voices in equity-first cannabis policy.

"Founding Executive Director of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, lead drafter of the MRTA — that's New York's cannabis law — and, you know, the architect of this whole thing. This is Chris Alexander."

It's the kind of intro most people would need a publicist to write. Chris just opens with it himself, then immediately drops the title and gets to the point: "I'm here with Good Grades, and I'm here to show y'all the three things I can't smoke without."

"The architect of this whole thing."

No surprise where the first answer goes. "First thing for me is obviously my New York flower. If you know me, you know I stand for New York's products and what we've been able to cultivate."

He's specific about the why. "I'm so proud of the small farmers across the state who've been able to grow and process super high quality flower. And I enjoy it from time to time." Then he picks up the jar and points at the packaging — the part most consumers scroll past. "When you get your New York product, you can see your verification code on there, your QR code, where you can find out terpenes in the product. You can know where it's grown, know where it's been tested, and know exactly what you're putting into your body."

And then the line that doubles as a closing argument for the entire legal market: "No bodega weed."

"No bodega weed."

The second pick is small and very specific. "My second thing has got to be my papers. I'm a big fan of minis. I love to smoke a small joint as I'm walking home from work. And I think it just makes it super convenient."

He draws the same line a lot of paper-smokers do, but more politely. "Prefer my papers to Dutches. A little cleaner smoke for me." It's a quiet but meaningful pick — the mini joint is the format of the regulated consumer, the person who wants a real session in a 10-minute window without the harshness of a wrap.

"I love to smoke a small joint as I'm walking home from work."

The third pick isn't a product at all, and that's the point. "Number three has got to be my people. This is communal. It's about sharing. That's how we have the best moments."

Coming from the person who wrote the law, it lands differently. The MRTA was built around equity, small operators, and community — and Chris's personal smoking philosophy is the same idea in a sentence. Cannabis is supposed to be shared.

"This is communal. It's about sharing. That's how we have the best moments."

He closes the way you'd expect the author of the MRTA to close — pointing people back to the legal market. "If you wanna find some product to share with your family and friends, make sure you go to cannabis.ny.gov, find the dispensary near you, and go support these small businesses."

Good Grades is one of those small businesses, and Chris pulling up to Queens to film this in the shop isn't accidental. The architect of the law is buying flower from a CAURD operator and telling the audience to do the same.

Chris Alexander's three things — New York flower, mini papers, and his people — are the MRTA distilled into a smoke session. Buy from licensed operators, choose a clean format, share the experience. The person who wrote the rules is showing exactly what the rules were designed to make possible.

If you want to follow his blueprint, the path is short: pull up to a CAURD or licensed dispensary like Good Grades, scan the QR code on the jar, roll a mini, and pass it to someone.

Watch the full interview below and explore more conversations in our Cannabis Culture hub.

"I'm Chris Alexander. These are three things I can't smoke without."