CANNABIS WATCH
New York State approved 30 new licenses for cannabis dispensaries, including 16 in New York City, and will see the third licensed retail store open next month as its legal pot program continues to roll out.
Instead of awarding the first licenses to larger businesses, New York State is following a plan to issue 150 licenses both to non-profit groups as well as people who have faced criminal prosecution for pot in the past.
The three stores that will be operating by mid-February compare to an estimated 1,400 illegal cannabis businesses in New York City alone, according to a report from the New York Post that cited testimony at a recent City Council meeting.
In a sign of strong demand despite the competition from illicit sellers, New York State’s first legal shop run by non-profit Housing Works has drawn long lines of customers in the East Village since it opened on Dec. 29.
Also Read: New York marks first legal cannabis sale as prohibition officially ends in the Empire State
On Feb. 13, Union Square Travel Agency: A Cannabis Store, will open at a pop-up location on 62 E. 13th Street in Manhattan, ahead of the launch of its full-sized store on 835 Broadway over the summer.
Operated by Harbour Community, Union Square Travel Agency is licensed to the Doe Fund, a non-profit that provides support services to people coming out of prison.
The store will be the third legal cannabis business to debut in New York State.
Also read: New York’s cannabis market gears up for opening
This past Tuesday, New York State opened up its second overall store after Housing Works called Smacked! Village on 144 Bleecker Street, at a former Duane Reade store.
Smacked! Village holds the distinction as the first in the state from a social equity license holder, Roland Conner. He has owned and operated property management businesses in New York City for 15 years and currently manages a transitional housing facility providing shelter for 24 men in The Bronx.
In a statement, Conner said he’s grateful for the opportunity to open a business with his wife and son, but added he’s part of an effort that’s bigger than his family.
“This is about everyone who was harmed by the draconian drug laws of the past,” Conner said. “New York’s commitment to righting those wrongs through the law is inspiring. I am proof of that commitment because I’m standing here today.”
On Wednesday, the state named 30 winners that had been recommended for conditional adult-use retail dispensary (CAURD) licenses. The state received more than 900 applications for CAURD licenses.
All told, New York has issued 66 licenses, including the 30 announced on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, New York is moving to make it more costly for unlicensed cannabis stores to operate.
Lawmakers are currently crafting new measures to increase fines and tax violations, and want to make it easier to punish landlords and seize illegal pot.
Also read: Curaleaf cutting 10% of staff as it exits three U.S. states
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