The Bronx will be receiving double the amount of available retail cannabis licenses than the borough was allocated originally, following an announcement from the state earlier this month.
The state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) said on March 2 that it would be increasing the amount of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses available to distribute by twofold across the state, from 150 to 300. In the Bronx, that number moves from 10 to 20 licenses, but still falls short of licensers in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.
Trivette Knowles, a public affairs press officer at OCM, told the Bronx Times on Tuesday that allowing more permit holders in the Bronx is significant, as it is the New York City borough that has been the most historically underinvested.
“We have so many eligible and qualified business applicants who suffered at the hands of the war on drugs and the over-policing of cannabis prohibition,” Knowles said. “When you look at the Bronx, it’s a perfect example.”
Part of Gov. Kathy Hochul’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative, which she announced last year, is meant to give licensure priority to individuals with prior cannabis-related criminal offenses. The initiative also allows eligible license applicants to receive financial aid from the Social Equity Cannabis Fund.
In an effort to create a legal cannabis market that is representative of the people it serves, Knowles said it’s part of OCM’s goal to let community leaders in each region spearhead the transition.
“They want to see their area thrive,” he said. “Representation of any degree matters, but what we’re going to see is (that) doubling the amount of Bronx licensees gives the entrepreneurs the autonomy.”
With the new CAURD licensure expansion, OCM will double Manhattan’s allocation from 22 to 44, Brooklyn’s from 19 to 38, Queens’ from 16 to 32, and Richmond County’s — which covers Staten Island — from three to six.
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