ALBANY, NY (August 16, 2022) — The New York State Office of Cannabis Management will accept applications for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) Licenses starting on August 25, 2022.
Why it matters: The first sales of adult-use cannabis in New York, with products grown by New York farmers, at legal adult-use retail dispensaries will be operated by people with a marijuana-related offense conviction or their family members.
Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license requirements
- Person must have a marijuana-related offense conviction that occurred before the passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Tax Act (March 31, 2021); or
- Person must have a parent, legal guardian, child, spouse, or dependent with a pre-MRTA marijuana- related offense conviction in the State of New York
- Have experience owning and operating a qualifying business
CAURD licensing program timeline:
- Cannabis Control Board votes to issue proposed regulations for the CAURD licensees for public comment (March 2022)
- Public comment period closes (May 31, 2022)
- Cannabis Control Board approved the final rules and regulations (July 14, 2022)
- Application portal for a CAURD license opens on New York State Business Express (August 25, 2022)
- CAURD license application window closes (September 26, 2022)
Opt-in/Opt-out:
In 2021, the Rockefeller Institute created the Marijuana Opt-Out Tracker, a database to report which municipalities made the decision to opt out of adult-use marijuana dispensaries and/or on-site consumption lounges in their jurisdiction. The Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government is a public policy think tank based in Albany, NY
Westchester municipalities that allow retail dispensaries
- Cortlandt (Town)
- Croton-on-Hudson (Village)
- Greenburgh (Town)
- Hastings-on-Hudson (Village)
- Mount Vernon (City)
- New Rochelle (City)
- Ossining (Town)
- Ossining (Village)
- Peekskill (City)
- Pelham (Town)
- Pound Ridge (Town)
- Rye (Town)
- Sleepy Hollow (Village)
- Tarrytown (Village)
- White Plains (City)
- Yonkers (City)
Westchester municipalities that allow on-site consumption lounges
- Mount Vernon (City)
- New Rochelle (City)
- Peekskill (City)
- Pelham (Town)
- Pound Ridge (Town)
- Rye (Town)
- Sleepy Hollow (Village)
- White Plains (City)
- Yonkers (City)
What they are saying:
Chair of the Cannabis Control Board Tremaine Wright: “Today’s announcement brings us to the precipice of legal, licensed cannabis sales in New York State. With the Seeding Opportunity Initiative, New York has affirmed our commitment to making sure the first sales are conducted by those harmed by prohibition. We’re writing a new playbook for what an equitable launch of a cannabis industry looks like, and hope future states follow our lead.”
Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Chris Alexander: “(On August 25) my team will start accepting applications for adult-use retail cannabis dispensaries. This is a monumental step in establishing the most equitable, diverse, and accessible cannabis industry in the nation. We’ve worked to make this application as simple as possible for all interested applicants, and I cannot emphasize it enough that you do not need any legal expertise to fill this application out.”
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