Mayor Adams’ Statement on State’s Approval of First Round of Cannabis Retail Dispensary Licenses, Proposed Cannabis Regulation Package

November 21, 2022

NEW YORK – New York City Mayor Eric Adams today released the following statement after New York State’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) approved the first round of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses and proposed their adult-use cannabis regulation package:

“Today, OCM took a massive stride towards ensuring that social and economic equity will be infused throughout all facets of the emerging cannabis industry. This is just the beginning of a multibillion-dollar opportunity for our city, and I am proud that the first legal retail sales will be made by entrepreneurs who were most harmed by previous cannabis criminalization. In addition to prioritizing ‘justice-involved’ applicants, I commend OCM for making the unprecedented decision to offer a portion of licenses to non-profit organizations — like LIFE Camp, Housing Works, and The DOE Fund — that have been working to improve outcomes for marginalized people in New York City for decades. This unique approach accomplishes multiple major milestones: Those directly harmed by cannabis criminalization are given the opportunity to better themselves through entrepreneurship, while also providing funding to non-profit organizations that have historically supported underserved New Yorkers.”

“I am also pleased to see that the regulatory framework proposed by OCM holds the line on the equity-driven goals of the Marijuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA), with clear guardrails to prevent oligopolistic consolidation of the market along with much-needed flexibility for responding to unexpected shifts in the market as it develops.”

“I have instructed the Cannabis NYC office to host a series of policy review workshops in the coming weeks for external and internal stakeholder groups to help break down the proposed regulations, provide opportunities to capture stakeholder feedback, and support submission of public comment to OCM during the 60-day period. My administration looks forward to supporting New York City’s first adult-use retail dispensaries and helping them grow from seed to shop window.”

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