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).
The deadline for businesses to apply for marijuana licenses ended on Sept. 26, and the licenses themselves yet to be distributed. Still, this illicit gray area has done little to dissuade would-be entrepreneurs from attempting to cash-in with their green thumbs — even though all their sales are technically illegal due to a lack of licenses.
