New York’s Cannabis Control Board has released draft regulations governing the state’s nascent adult-use marijuana marketplace, and it has also approved its first wave business applicants. Of the 36 licenses awarded, 28 went to justice-involved individuals (a person who had been convicted of a marijuana-related offense themselves or a close relative) and eight were awarded to non profit organizations.
“The inclusion of applicants that have been negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition is an important step toward providing restorative justice, “says Jax James, NORML’s State Policy Manager.
State regulators have previously said that they hope to have the first retail locations up and running by the end of the year.
Regulators would have issued additional licenses but a federal judge recently issued an injunction blocking officials from granting licenses to social equity applicants in various jurisdictions throughout the state, including Brooklyn.
