ALBANY, N.Y. — To enable additional highly qualified individuals to be among the first in the state to open cannabis dispensaries, the Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced it will double the number of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) Licenses to be issued from the originally planned 150 licenses to 300 licenses.
The program’s expansion will further advance New York State’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative, which provides for the state’s first legal adult-use retail dispensaries to be operated by those most impacted by the prohibition of cannabis or by nonprofit organizations whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated.
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OCM received about 900 applications for CAURD licenses. To date, the Cannabis Control Board has issued 66 provisional CAURD licenses.
The goal of the New York State Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act of 2021 (MRTA) is to build an equitable market that helps overcome the impacts of the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition, including prioritizing licenses to individuals with cannabis convictions, or their close family members.
“New York is doing something special when it comes to launching our cannabis industry, and now we’re doubling the impact of our Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary program,” Chris Alexander, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management said. “It’s been truly exciting to see the positive energy around our efforts to support entrepreneurs who previously suffered at the hands of New York State. We will continue creating real opportunities for qualified applicants who’ve been shut out from legal cannabis markets across the country.”
Under this expansion, licenses will increase proportionally in each region and be awarded from the existing pool of qualifying business applicants.
The Central New York region was previously allocated seven licenses, but now will receive 14 licenses; the Mohawk Valley will now receive four licenses and the Finger Lakes region will now receive 18 licenses.
H/T: cnycentral.com
