New York will begin accepting pharmacy applications this month

The New York City Bureau of Cannabis Management announced Thursday that it will begin accepting applications for retail cannabis licenses for adult use later this month.

Prospective pharmacy owners can submit their applications starting August 25. The application period is expected to end on September 26th.

In Thursday’s announcement, the agency reminded applicants that “New York’s first legal adult-use retail pharmacies will be operated by those most affected by cannabis prohibition enforcement and will make the first adult-use cannabis sales in New York.” with produce grown by New York farmers,” a key tenet of the state’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative unveiled earlier this year.

“Today’s announcement brings us to the precipice of legal, licensed cannabis sales in New York State,” Tremaine Wright, chair of the state Cannabis Control Committee, said in a statement Thursday. “With the Seeding Opportunity Initiative, New York has reaffirmed our commitment to ensure the first sales are made by those harmed by the ban. We are writing a new playbook on what a just start to a cannabis industry looks like, and we hope future states will follow suit.”

The board said prospective applicants must meet the following qualifications to obtain a dispensary license: “A conviction for a marijuana-related offense that occurred prior to the passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Tax Act (MRTA) on March 31, 2021, or have a parent, legal guardian, child, spouse or family member convicted of a pre-MRTA marijuana-related offense in New York State”; and “have experience of owning and operating a qualifying business.”

“In just two weeks, my team will begin accepting applications for adult-use cannabis retail supplies. This is a monumental step in building the most equitable, diverse and accessible cannabis industry in the country,” said Chris Alexander, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, on Thursday. “We have worked to make this application as easy as possible for all interested applicants and I cannot stress enough that you do not need any legal expertise to complete this application.”

New York legalized recreational cannabis for adults last year when then Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law. The state’s first recreational marijuana crop was planted in the spring, and the first dispensaries are expected to open before the end of the year.

“New York farms were the backbone of our state’s economy even before the American Revolution, and now New York farms will be at the heart of the nation’s most equitable cannabis industry,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in April afterwards the state approved the first 50 cultivation licenses. “I’m proud to announce the first adult-use cannabis cultivation licenses in the state, and I’m proud of the work that the Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Control Board are doing to improve the sale of adult-use cannabis up and running as quickly as possible without jeopardizing our mission to help communities and individuals hardest hit by cannabis prohibition over the past century.”

Since acquiring Cuomo, who resigned last summer amid sexual misconduct allegations, Hochul has prioritized getting the state’s recreational cannabis market up and running.

Last month, Hochul announced a $5 million grant to support cannabis industry professional training programs at New York City community colleges.

“New York’s emerging cannabis industry is creating exciting opportunities, and we will ensure New Yorkers who pursue careers in this growing sector receive the quality education they need to succeed,” Hochul said at the time. “Diversity and inclusion make the New York workforce a competitive, strong asset, and we will continue to take concrete steps to ensure everyone has an opportunity to participate in the cannabis industry.”