Here’s how many cannabis licenses New York will initially issue

New York regulators are only a few months away from legal marijuana sales starting. Last year those responsible prepared laws and set the course for this moment.

On Thursday, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) released a regional breakdown of potential dispensaries showing how many licenses would be awarded per region.

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The OCM will issue up to 150 licenses in 14 regions of the state. Big boroughs like Manhattan and Brooklyn have more licenses and therefore probably more dispensaries.

The region with the widest scope for licenses is Manhattan with 22 of them. Long Island and Brooklyn followed closely with 20 and 19 licenses, respectively. Other densely populated areas like Queens and the Bronx follow closely behind with 16 and 10 licenses, respectively.

RELATED: Here’s when New York will start accepting pharmacy applications

The OCM is currently preparing to issue CAURD licenses to applicants, which are granted to people who have been “involved in the judiciary”. CAURD stands for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries and will be the first license made available to the public, benefiting those who are struggling the most as a result of cannabis punishment.

“CAURD licensees will be able to make the first legal cannabis sales in New York before the end of 2022 and accelerate the delivery of investments to communities across New York State that have been impacted by disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition,” it said the official site.

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The application process is intended to be simple and inexpensive, requiring no outside help from lawyers or other parties.

“The primary goal of the CAURD license is to create opportunities for New Yorkers who have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition,” OCM spokesman Aaron Ghitelman told Marijuana Moment. “Part of this is the granting of up to 150 CAURD licenses to individuals who themselves or their close family members have a history of legitimate cannabis-related offenses and have interests in profitable businesses.

New York will begin accepting pharmacy applications on August 25, with a goal of having those stores operational by the end of the year.