L’Office of Cannabis Managementthe body responsible for implementing and monitoring the legalization of cannabis in New York State, on Monday issued the first adult cannabis retail licenses to 36 applicants, including 28 who have had clashes with the law and 8 non-profit organizations, including LIFE Camp, the first non-profit organization led by a black woman.
The applicants were chosen from a pool of 903 applicants, each vying for one of the 175 planned cannabis retail licenses in the state.
New York authorities plan to issue 150 of these licenses to businesses, with the remaining 25 reserved for nonprofits. The first wave of licenses was reserved for businesses owned by people who have been disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.
BREAKING: In a historic decision, the #NYCCB has approved the first round of CAURD licenses.
28 Justice-involved individuals & 8 Nonprofit organizations will make the first adult use-sales by New York farmers and bring countless opportunities to our communities. #NYCCB
—NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) November 21, 2022
The regulator also posted on Twitter that it would allow qualifying businesses to start with delivery services.
“This will help get sales off the ground and allow these small business owners to generate capital and expand their businesses,” the CMO tweeted. Officials have previously said they intend to launch legal adult-use sales by the end of the year.
New York State legalized adult use of cannabis in March 2021, but had yet to issue a license to sell it.
Among the various reasons for the delay, a Michigan company sued New York State and its cannabis management office last September, claiming it gave preference to companies in the state. However, she was dismissed.
Under pressure from the launch of one of the country’s most anticipated legal cannabis markets, the CMO decided to award some dispensary licenses to entrepreneurs and non-profit groups, a major step that comes then authorities are struggling to arrest unlicensed vendors.
You can read on the following link the outline of the regulation of cannabis for adults in the State of New York.
