The New York State Cannabis Control Board approved 52 licenses across the state last week for adult-use cannabis cultivation.
These are the first adult-use cannabis licenses granted in the state. They were selected from a pool of more than 150 submitted to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) following the March 15 opening of the online application portal.
“New York’s farms have been the backbone of our state’s economy since before the American Revolution, and now, New York’s farms will be at the center of the most equitable cannabis industry in the nation,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. “I’m proud to announce the first adult-use cannabis cultivation licenses in the state, and I’m proud of the work the Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Control Board are doing to get adult-use cannabis sales up and running as fast as possible without compromising our mission to uplift communities and individuals most impacted by the past century of cannabis prohibition.”
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.
“Today represents a huge step in our efforts to establish an adult-use cannabis industry in New York. We couldn’t be more excited to approve 52 small farms across the state to start to cultivating cannabis for adult consumption. We’ve been working hard to establish this industry, and now, New York farmers will be able to plant seeds in our fertile ground, so dispensaries owned by justice-involved New Yorkers with business experience will be able to sell these products in stores by the end of the year. Growing season waits for no one, and we’re moving as quickly as possible to help our local farmers take full advantage of it this spring,” Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright said.
This is part of the Seeding Opportunity Initiative, announced by Hochul in March to have adult-use cannabis sales in New York grown by New York farmers.
“We are working hard to provide a legal framework for New Yorkers using medical cannabis to grow their own cannabis plants. We understand that patients are looking to this new option to access medication at a low cost, and we are doing everything possible to speed up this process while working within the rules of New York’s regulatory system,” Office of Cannabis Management Executive Director Chris Alexander said.