New York to award up to 150 cannabis sales licenses

New York regulators are just a few months away from the launch of legal cannabis sales. Over the past year, the responsible parties have been preparing the legislation and laying the groundwork for this launch.

Last week, the’Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has published a regional breakdown of possible dispensaries, indicating the number of licenses that would be granted per zone.

The CMO says it will award up to 150 licenses in 14 regions of New York State. Larger boroughs such as Manhattan and Brooklyn are getting more licenses and, as a result, are likely to have more outlets.

The region with the most license space is Manhattan, with 22 licenses in total. Close behind are Long Island and Brooklyn, with 20 and 19 licenses respectively. Other densely populated areas such as Queens and the Bronx follow with 16 and 10 licenses each.

The CMO is currently preparing to issue CAURD (Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary) to applicants, which are those granted to people already convicted of cannabis possession or trafficking.

CAURD licenses will be the first licenses to be made available to the public, The aim is to benefit those who have suffered most from the criminalization of cannabis.

«CAURD licensees are positioned to make the first legal cannabis sales in New York before the end of 2022, accelerating investment in New York State communities that have been impacted by the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition,» reads the official MCO website.

The application process is intended to be simple and affordable, requiring no outside assistance from lawyers or other parties.

«The primary goal of the CAURD license is to create opportunities for New Yorkers most affected by the cannabis prohibition« said CMO spokesman Aaron Ghitelman.

«Part of that is granting up to 150 CAURD licenses to people who, themselves or close family members, have had qualifying cannabis-related offenses in the past and have holdings in profitable businesses,» Ghitelman reportedly added.

New York was due to start accepting applications to open dispensaries by early September, with the aim of having the companies concerned operational by the end of 2022.