New York is edging closer to opening the floodgates of legal adult-use cannabis retail sales in the state. Priority on the list of those who will have first dibs in obtaining permits to sell are minorities, veterans, and individuals who have been disproportionately impacted by the “war on drugs” agenda, which imprisoned several African American, Latino, and Hispanic people from under-resourced communities. Applications for permits will be available in the summer and approvals will be determined by the time the fall season starts.
Cannabis was made legal in the State of New York in 2021 via the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. The latest gesture from the Office of Cannabis Management, led by executive director Chris Alexander, is part of a campaign for social equity vindicating people with nonviolent offenses related to marijuana.
“We are now on the path to doing what no state has done before: Put our farmers and equity entrepreneurs, not big, out of state businesses, at the forefront of the launch of our adult-use cannabis market,” Alexander said in a statement.
Marijuana offenses account for 52% of arrests in the U.S., according to the ACLU. Over seven million people have been arrested for marijuana between 2001 and 2010. Black people are arrested 3.73 times more than white people, even though the rates of usage are close to equal with the latter using slightly more. More than $3.6 billion are spent on marijuana law enforcement, annually.
When medical cannabis became legalized, many large companies moved in on the market taking most of the permits, and pushing smaller entities out. Alexander’s mission is to balance the scales for those who have been arrested, imprisoned, and defamed for marijuana possession, sale, and use, only for predominately white males to capitalize off the legalization of the potent plant years later.
In addition to Alexander’s announcement, Governor Kathy Hochul revealed the first Seeding Opportunity Initiative in the nation. The initiative provides support for individuals with records that include marijuana offenses to have direct access to New York farmers ahead of their first adult-use cannabis sales.
“New York State is making history, launching a first-of-its-kind approach to the cannabis industry that takes a major step forward in righting the wrongs of the past,” Governor Hochul said. “The regulations advanced by the Cannabis Control Board today will prioritize local farmers and entrepreneurs, creating jobs and opportunity for communities that have been left out and left behind. I’m proud New York will be a national model for the safe, equitable and inclusive industry we are now building.”
Individuals can apply for licenses beginning March 15. However, conditions must be met, including having a background in operating a small business, being an applicant or family member convicted of a marijuana offense, or having a non-profit that serves those with marijuana offenses.
