High times have arrived in New York City. Unlicensed cannabis vendors have been popping up like weeds all across the city as they endeavor to profit from the right to smoke in the Big Apple.
In March 2021, former Governor Andrew Cuomo approved the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) which legalized adult-use cannabis and hemp (with a few parameters) in New York State. That got the ball rolling on a lengthy process to establish regulations and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) was developed to help regulate production, licensing, packaging, and cannabis marketing and sale. This included a five-member board and Chief Equity Officer charged with ensuring a social equity plan was designed to support businesses applying for a license, also called Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries (CAURD).
