Hochul has recently expressed her discontentment with the speed at which Office of Cannabis Management reviews and approves applications, calling the program a "disaster." After receiving 7,000 licenses from prospective marijuana businesses, they only approved 109 applications. 32 people were hired to process the cannabis business applications. Hochul demanded a review to determine ways to improve the approval process. She has deployed Jeanette Moy, commissioner of the Office of General Services, to streamline the application process and identify bottlenecks. Moy will spend a period of at least 30 days focusing on these efforts in addition to establishing long term action plans.
New York State Office of Cannabis Management Executive Direct Chris Alexander responded to this review, “We have built a cannabis market based on equity, and there is a lot to be proud of. At the same time, there is more we can do to improve OCM’s operations and we know Commissioner Moy, a proven leader in government, will help us get where we need to be. We owe it to operators across the supply chain and consumers alike, who are looking for more access and opportunity in our budding, regulated market. At the end of the day, it’s all about doing what’s right for New Yorkers.”
The 109 approved applications comprised of 38 retail dispensary licenses and 26 microbusiness licenses. Microbusiness use authorizes the cultivation, processing, distribution, retail sale, and delivery of cannabis. The New York microbusiness application and licensing fees are pretty hefty at $1,000 per application and $4,500 licensing fee, plus the taxes of course. A 50% discount is given to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants. SEE applicants are minority owned, women owned (or both,) "distressed" farmers, and disabled veterans. Priority was given to applicants with a lower income based on location, people who's "community (was) disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition," also to people convicted of a marijuana-related crime and their immediate families.
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