New York has issued the state's first 36 cannabis dispensary licenses, taking a monumental step in establishing a legal and lucrative marketplace for recreational marijuana.
Marijuana plants for the adult recreational market are are seen in a greenhouse at Hepworth Farms in Milton, N.Y., July 15, 2022. New York has issued the first 36 cannabis dispensary licenses on Monday, Nov. 21, 2022 taking a monumental step in establishing a legal and lucrative marketplace for recreational marijuana. – New York issued its first 36 cannabis dispensary licenses on Monday, taking a monumental step in establishing a legal — and lucrative — marketplace for recreational marijuana.
“This is a monumental moment and it represents the last leg of the cannabis supply chain that requires licensure,” said Tremaine Wright, who chairs the Cannabis Control Board. Angel Turuseta and Emely Chavez, who operate Royal Leaf NY in the Bronx, were among those snagging one of the first licenses. Housing Works, a New York City nonprofit, said the license it received Monday would allow it to continue its work helping low-income New Yorkers living with HIV or AIDS.
The cannabis board also advanced proposed regulations for the sale of marijuana, with a focus on public health, product quality and safety and preventing those under 21 from buying cannabis.“We’re a little concerned about whether these license holders are being set up for failure,” said Reginald Fluellen, a spokesman for the Cannabis Social Equity Coalition.
The New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association applauded the cannabis board's move to issue licenses but said the accompanying draft regulations approved for public comment “present a number of serious concerns.” Among them, the group said, was “the restrictive nature of the state’s medical program.”