As New York’s burgeoning marijuana industry continues to take off, the state has approved 36 new marijuana grow licenses.
New York’s Cannabis Control Board approved 36 new conditional cultivator licenses recently, and could soon review about 100 more applications.
During a brief meeting last week, board members voted in favor of issuing the 36 new licenses, bringing the total number of farms allowed to grow adult-use cannabis to 88.
Chris Alexander, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, said the agency has received about 200 applications, and will submit more for board approval.
“There are stringent background, compliance checks going on currently,” Alexander said. “I think that we have another 100 or so that could be coming along the pipeline quickly.”
No board member voted against licensing the applicants, with the exception of Adam Perry abstaining from voting on three of them (508 Land LLC, Hop-n-Hemp Tea Inc. and Homestead Farms & Ranch, LLC).
The board approved the first slate of conditional cultivation licenses at last month’s meeting, where they greenlit 52 farms to start growing for the adult-use marijuana market.
Conditional license holders in the state can begin growing cannabis outdoors or in a greenhouse with up to 20 artificial lights. Provisional license holders will have to apply for full licenses by June 1, and the temporary licenses expire June 30, 2024.
