Earlier this week I stumbled into a bodega. This small store, located on the corner of a quiet street has a glass case in front of the cashier. This case is usually filled with of pre rolls, thc diamonds and other 420 goodies. This day was different. There was a sign on the window, stating that cannabis has been seized. The glass case next to the cashier was empty. You may have noticed a sticker on your local cannabis dispensary's window saying that cannabis has been seized. This has led some of us to the question: if cannabis is legal in New York, why are stores being seized and fined for selling cannabis? This is because the stores are unlicensed.
According to the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), “adult-use cannabis market was established upon the passage of the Cannabis Law in March 2021.” There is a queue of 1,799 applicants for retail dispensary application from November. They are now closed for applications until the next application window. To date, the OCM has licensed 270 conditional cultivators, 40 conditional processors, distributors, and 75 adult-use retail dispensaries to grow, distribute, and sell cannabis across New York State.
The OCM is not reviewing applications quickly enough to meet the demand of eager New York stoners. To put it bluntly (pun definitely intended), what's the hold up? Marijuana has been legalized since March 2021, yet there are only 75 legal retail dispensaries in the state. The backlog of pending licenses is damaging to small businesses and individuals who want to purchase regulated cannabis products. New York State must work diligently to approve more applications and lift bottlenecks in their process. It seems they are putting more effort into shutting down unlicensed shops than processing and approving cannabis dispensary applications.
As we all know, businesses must act quickly to get into this market as it has already become saturated. With cannabis shops all across the city, the ones who wait for approval from the state may be left behind as many people have already established relationships with their local cannabis dispensary. It's clear war on drugs, particularly on cannabis, has failed. New York State has declared a new war. This time the war is on unlicensed dispensaries.
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