New York approves 90 cannabis cultivators before launching retail sales «this year»

New York authorities last week approved a second batch of cannabis cultivation licenses, as the state prepares to launch retail sales «later this year».

The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) has granted 36 additional cultivator licenses to companies already growing hemp. The agency approved the first 52 applications last month, and regulators will continue to review offers as they come in. These licenses are conditional, approved in February, These new technologies enable hemp growers to get a head start on cannabis cultivation to meet future demand.

Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Executive Director Chris Alexander said Thursday that the state is still on track to launch retail sales «later this year,» adding that «so far, it's had a huge impact in our communities statewide.».

In March, the authorities also decided that people with previous convictions for cannabis possession, or whose family members have been harmed by criminalization, would get the first round of recreational cannabis sales licenses, ahead of existing medical cannabis businesses.

«Thanks to the« Seeding Opportunity« These farmers are growing the first products to be sold in dispensaries owned by New Yorkers harmed by prohibition by the end of the year,» said Chris Alexander. «I think we have another hundred [grower licenses] coming down the pipeline.».

Overcoming federal prohibition

The bill to legalize the adult use of cannabis was signed into law just over a year ago in New York State, after the regulators have spent months preparing its implementation.

Holders of a conditional cultivation license must have been authorized by the state Department of Agriculture to grow hemp by December 31, 2021, and have grown the crop for two of the last four years. They are also required to «participate in an environmental sustainability program and a social equity mentoring program».

At last month's CCB meeting, regulators also authorized patients to grow their own cannabis plants for personal use.

Generally speaking, the rule would allow registered patients and caregivers to grow up to 6 plants, of which only 3 would be in flower. They could possess up to 5 pounds (2.5 kilos) of cannabis from these plants, which is in line with the state's adult-use legalization law.

Meanwhile, New York lawmakers recently sent a budget proposal to the governor's office that includes provisions allowing cannabis businesses to benefit from state tax deductions enjoyed by other industries, despite the federal ban on cannabis. This provision has been signed into law and is increasingly part of legalization plans. as recently in Delaware.