New York’s Governor Confirms 20 Weed Stores Will Open This Year
By state law, New York’s first dispensaries will be owned by residents with cannabis convictions. More than 900 Conditional Adult-Use Recreational Dispensary (CAURD) license applications were accepted within the 37-day window, which opened August 25 and closed September 30.So far, the cannabis board has granted zero CAURD licenses. On September 16, the state’s cannabis office told Leafly that it had not begun reviewing applications yet, but that the review process would not stop some stores from opening this year.
Here’s what the governor said
This week, Gov. Hochul was asked whether she was worried about shifting timelines for the rollout of New York’s retail market. She said the state’s timeline is “still on track,” in an exclusive interview with the Advance Media New York editorial board, according to New York Cannabis Insider’s Brad Racino.
Refusing to rush the process, Gov. Hochul added, “We’re not going to just jam it out there. It’s going to work and be successful.”
“We’re going to make sure that this is a model for the rest of the nation – especially with our desire to make sure that people who’ve been affected by the criminal justice system adversely … have the opportunity to work in this area.”New York Governor Kathy Hochul
Gov. Hochul is not messing around when it comes to the plant
According to Syracuse.com, Gov. Hochul also told the editorial board, “I was given a lot of credit because within one week, I named people. I got things going. So, when I speak to people about being part of this industry, the first thing they say is ‘thank you.’ Because otherwise we could still be waiting and waiting and waiting, even for the most basic steps to be taken. So we’ve been moving along quickly.”New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) was signed by then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo on March 31, 2021. But the new law saw almost no progress in the months that followed, as Cuomo had failed to establish a regulatory board.When Gov. Hochul took his place in August 2021, she acted immediately. Her first move was appointing Tremaine Wright to lead the Cannabis Control Board and Chris Alexander to head the Office of Cannabis Management. New York cannabis regulators began meeting in October 2021, and gave an 18-month window to establish a legal framework for cannabis. Click here for the rest of the story!