Officials in the state of New York are planning to reserve the first 100 or more retail licenses to sell marijuana in New York for people who have been convicted of related offenses, or their relatives.
The policy was announced by Gov. Kathy Hochul on Thursday and is a part of a concerted push to assure that early business owners in the state’s projected billion-dollar marijuana industry will be members of communities that have been affected by the nation’s war against the drug. In New York, Black and Latino residents have for years been far more likely to be arrested on marijuana charges than white, non-Hispanic people.
Chris Alexander, the executive director of the state’s Office of Cannabis Management, said that by focusing early on “those who otherwise would have been left behind,” New York was in a “position to do something that has not been done before.”
Governor Hochul has proposed legislature that includes $200 million in this year’s budget to support the fledging businesses, money that would be spent on finding, securing and renovating storefronts for retailers.
According to Alexander, between 100 and 200 licenses to go to people who were convicted of a marijuana-related offense before the drug was legalized, or those who have “a parent, guardian, child, spouse, or dependent” with a marijuana conviction.
Mr. Alexander also said his office would evaluate applicants on their business plans and experience in retail.
The resulting dispensaries will be the first to open in the state by the end of the year, Mr. Alexander said. Some may be open in 2023.
State Senator Liz Krueger, a Democrat from the Upper East Side, said that she expected the $200 million to be included in the budget, due in April.
“We want them to be successful, which means we need to help some of them,” she said, adding that signing of leases could be a tricky proposition for dealers who “were selling illegally behind a building until recently.”
“They might not have all that bank account and paperwork and lawyers that a real estate person would want to deal with,” Ms. Krueger added.
