Gov. Kathy Hochul is directing a complete overhaul of the Office of Cannabis Management.

The governor did not mince words, describing the office as a disaster.

She announced an overhaul of the office, with the goal of immediately fixing three deep-seated issues.

She says the state is going to unclog the licensing bottleneck and immediately review hundreds of applicants who’ve been waiting for an answer.

It also plans to improve the communications with the entrepreneurs trying to gain access to the industry and transform the office from startup mode into a fully operational regulatory agency.

“Let me be clear – there are deep-seated issues at OCM, issues that have limited its ability to fulfill its licensing role – a complicated application process for prospective business owners. And unfortunately, this has overshadowed the excellent work done by hard working OCM staff,” Hochul said.

The state also plans to launch a task force to go after illegal suppliers.

The New York State Police will take the lead – deploying teams of investigators and analysts all across the state to close as many illicit stores as possible over the next 90 days.