A group of medical marijuana businesses from New York filed a lawsuit against the state's cannabis authorities on Thursday in an effort to grant licenses to all prospective retail dispensary owners right away.
The case, which was filed in state court in Albany, alleges that when state cannabis authorities opened the initial applicant pool in August solely to those with prior marijuana convictions or their family, as opposed to everyone, they went beyond the bounds of their legal power.
The Cannabis Control Board and Office of Cannabis Management of the state, as well as prominent executives, are named as defendants in the complaint.
Impacted By Marijuana Enforcement
In an effort to provide possibilities for those who have been most negatively impacted by marijuana enforcement, which led to Black and Latino persons being jailed at disproportionately high rates, first preference was given to people with prior marijuana convictions or their families.
The lawsuit is being filed as New York works to launch its potentially enormous legal market, nearly two years after legalizing marijuana for adult use. 66 permits for dispensaries have already been granted. Ithaca's dispensary, the fifth establishment in the state, was scheduled to open on Thursday.
Access To Regulated And Safe Cannabis
Coalition for Access to Regulated & Safe Cannabis, a trade association that represents Curaleaf, Green Thumb Industries, Acreage Holdings, and Pharmacann, among other licensed, registered medical cannabis suppliers, filed the complaint. The restrictive licensing regime has prevented the companies from competing in the state's adult usage market, according to a coalition representative.
The state's licensing system for cannabis businesses has been legally contested before. After Variscite, a judge temporarily barred New York from obtaining licenses for marijuana dispensaries in Brooklyn and certain areas of upstate New York in November.
Comments / 36