![]() Originally, most of New York's first cannabis retailers - many of them state residents with past marijuana convictions - were not supposed to choose their own shop locations. In his presentation at Wednesday's meeting, the Office of Cannabis Management's Executive Director Chris Alexander reiterated that regulators are "working with law enforcement partners across the state to stop illicit cannabis sales at storefronts and trucks."Ĭapital Region customers are expected to be able to purchase marijuana legally in the coming year the state licensed four initial retailers in the region in late November, but has not yet assigned them dispensary locations. Until 36 retailers were licensed last month to sell the farmers' marijuana, they had no legal way to direct their products to consumers.Īllan Gandelman, president of the Cannabis Association of New York, said the organization "is very excited to see the first store open and have our farmers, manufacturers and brands fill the shelves of the first store of the legal market." Gandelman's hemp farm, Head & Heal, also received permission to grow marijuana this year.īut licensed sales will still be far outnumbered by purchases from illicit dispensaries that have cropped up ad hoc since the possession and use of marijuana was legalized across the state in late March 2021. The news was celebrated by an organization representing many of the state's hemp farmers, who became the first growers permitted to cultivate high-THC cannabis for recreational use. But with Wednesday's announcement, the Cannabis Control Board surpassed its own early estimates for when the first recreational-use retail sales would occur, meeting the expectation it had set for the past several months that marijuana sold legally would be available to New Yorkers by the end of this year. Kathy Hochul took office in August 2021, have not always stuck to schedule. New York's regulators, who started work soon after Gov. Everyone has been eagerly anticipating this and I know it's something that we've been working towards for years across the state," said Tremaine Wright, chairwoman of the Cannabis Control Board. "The first sale in New York state is certainly going to be a big moment in our history. The first licensed retail sale will be made by the downstate nonprofit Housing Works, the country's largest minority-controlled HIV/AIDS service organization, which will be up and running in advance of many other licensees. ![]() The market kickoff will not be simultaneous across the state and it is unclear when sales will begin in the Capital Region.
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