The Cannabis Control Board voted on Tuesday to widen the state's recreational marijuana rollout to the general public as an ongoing lawsuit holds the sector at a standstill. Anyone with dreams to legally grow, process, or sell cannabis in New York can now apply for a state license this autumn.
The board, which is governed by the state Office of Cannabis Management, decided to approve the requests for growers, processors, microbusinesses, and retailers to start operations on October 4. For first licenses granted through the legally troubled Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary program, applicants are not required to have a prior marijuana conviction.
Before conditional licenses expire in June 2024, conditional license holders who are in good standing can submit an application to upgrade to a full license.
In the upcoming days, Alexander said, OCM would post further rules and details regarding the procedure on its website.
Order From The State Supreme Court Justice Last Month
The state Supreme Court justice granted an order last month, temporarily halting the approval of more retail licenses and the opening of dispensaries. Tuesday's meeting was the first since that time. The case's subsequent hearing is scheduled for this Friday.
Nearly nine months after the first sale of 463 granted licenses in December of last year, the state has 23 operational legal dispensaries.
As officials get ready to accept general applications this autumn, board members on Tuesday also approved cannabis research applications for the first time and voted to approve the department's final regulations.
Expensive Industry To Work In
Many of the hundreds of cannabis license holders who attended the conference in Albany on Tuesday were on the verge of tears as they described how they had put their life savings or the college fees for their children in a business that the state has been unable to launch.
An estimated 10 pounds of the almost 1,000 pounds of marijuana flower and products Justin Merkel, a licensed producer in Genesee County, has grown at his facility in the Finger Lakes have been sold.
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