The Office of Cannabis Management outlined what’s next for some cannabis dispensary applicants at its Cannabis Control Board Meeting last week now that a lawsuit holding up proceedings has been settled.
After settling a lawsuit filed by four disabled U.S. military veterans, the Cannabis Control Board announced that some Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary applicants can begin moving forward in the process in 2024. CAURD licenses, issued to justice-involved individuals, are the first to be issued to retail dispensaries for legal adult-use cannabis sales in the state.
Now that the lawsuit is out of the way, the program will proceed with the applications that have been held up since August.
More than a dozen CAURD dispensaries are expected to open throughout New York by the end of 2023. Some of the New York City-area locations include Brooklyn, Long Island, the Bronx and the Upper East Side. Dispensaries that are ready can begin receiving inspections from OCM.
Earlier this month, the Cannabis Control Board’s lawsuit settlement revealed that OCM can review new CAURD applicants beginning on April 1, 2024, in order to focus on handling applicants for other licenses, such as Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants.
As those dispensary applications are reviewed, the Cannabis Growers Showcase will come to a close on Jan. 1, 2024. The program started this past spring to allow licensed growers and processors to sell their products through events at various locations, including storefronts that may be awaiting permanent licenses.
Through November, the Cannabis Growers Showcase had 106 participants throughout the state in 43 different New York municipalities, according to OCM, including CAURD, Adult-Use Conditional Cultivator and Adult-Use Conditional Processorlicensees. Some 60 showcases took place.
Altogether, 31 legal cannabis dispensaries are open throughout New York state.
There were also more than 350 cannabis-related companies and 1,500 retail dispensaries that applied for adult-use retail dispensary and micro-business licenses last month, OCM said in a presentation. Micro-businesses aid in the cultivation and processing of marijuana products.
Some 70% of micro business proposals and 77% of retail dispensary proposals were submitted by SEE applicants.
“The overrepresentation in SEE applicants is a significant achievement,” said Damian Fagon, a member of the Cannabis Control Board. “Their businesses might have been sidelined, but our CAURD licensees remained fully committed to their endeavor. We remain dedicated to upholding a fair and transparent process that supports all business types and all licenses types.”
H/T: www.bizjournals.com
