As part of its ongoing effort to implement a regulated adult-use cannabis program, today Governor Cuomo announced that the Cannabis Control Board approved 52 Adult-use Cannabis Conditional Cultivator Licenses. These are the first adult-use cannabis licenses granted in New York State and they advance the Seeding Opportunity Initiative.
“New York’s legal cannabis program is off to a strong start with the first cultivation licenses awarded today,” said Governor Cuomo. “This new industry has the potential to create thousands of good-paying jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity while promoting social equity and repairing communities that have been most harmed by decades of prohibition.”
The approved licenses are from a pool of more than 150 that have been submitted to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) following the March 15 opening of the online application portal. The OCM will continue to review applications on a rolling basis and will work to get them to the Board for approval as quickly as possible.
“I am proud that our team has worked diligently to get to this point and award the first cultivation licenses in New York State,” said OCM Director Norman Birenbaum. “As we move forward, the OCM will continue its work to ensure a fair and inclusive licensing process that prioritizes those communities most harmed by cannabis prohibition.”
Applicants were required to submit extensive documentation demonstrating their financial viability, experience in cannabis cultivation, labor practices, and ability to promote social equity as part of the process.
The OCM is committed to increasing diversity, inclusion, and opportunities in the cannabis industry. As part of that commitment, the Agency has developed a Social and Economic Equity Plan that will provide guidance on how the adult-use program will create opportunities for those communities most harmed by cannabis prohibition.
Cannabis Control Board Approves 52 Adult-Use Cannabis Conditional Cultivator Licenses
The Cannabis Control Board has approved 52 Adult-use Cannabis Conditional Cultivator Licenses. These are the first adult-use cannabis licenses granted in New York State and they advance the Seeding Opportunity Initiative.
To date, the OCM has also awarded 19 Retail Dispensary Licenses, four On-Site Consumption Licenses, and one Hospitality License. The Agency expects to award additional licenses in the coming weeks.
The first adult-use cannabis licenses in New York State have been approved, advancing the Seeding Opportunity Initiative. These licenses will create new jobs and generate economic activity while also promoting social equity. The OCM will continue to review applications on a rolling basis and award additional licenses in the coming weeks.
Promoting social equity
The approved licenses are from a pool of more than 150 that have been submitted to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) following the March 15 opening of the online application portal.
Applicants were required to submit extensive documentation demonstrating their financial viability, experience in cannabis cultivation, labor practices, and ability to promote social equity as part of the process.
“New York’s legal cannabis program is off to a strong start with the first cultivation licenses awarded today,” said Governor Cuomo. “This new industry has the potential to create thousands of good-paying jobs and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity while promoting social equity and repairing communities that have been most harmed by decades of prohibition.”
The OCM is committed to increasing diversity, inclusion, and opportunities in the cannabis industry. As part of that commitment, the Agency has developed a Social and Economic Equity Plan that will provide guidance on how the adult-use program will create opportunities for those communities most harmed by cannabis prohibition.
