New York Cannabis: The Timing Update Update

We provided an update a few weeks ago on the timing of New York’s Office of Cannabis Management and Cannabis Control Board (CCB opening the general adult-use marijuana licensing portal. The application review process is expected to begin in the fall of 2023. Our estimate was based on the OCM’s and CCBs reviews of the public comments submitted in relation to the proposed adult-use marijuana rules and regulations. Green Market Report (via John Schroyer), published a detailed and extensive interview with OCM Chief and Staff and Senior policy Director Axel Bernabe on March 22, 2023. Bernabe confirmed that OCM expects to open the portal in the fall 2023.
“What is the timeline for New York’s industry regulations being finalized and completed?
We filed the regulations for public comment and we are trying to get them done before our May 11 board meeting. If we can get them done by then, final regs should be filed by August. We can then open the general application period in a few months.
These are only tentative dates. However, we will be able to start awarding dispensaries in the fall, after Labor Day.
It’s not as though we can review 1000 (applicants), because we have to simultaneously review growers, distributors, and all other licenses. The biggest problem is the time it takes for everyone to be reviewed.
It allows for a gradual rollout, so that we don’t have thousands of people looking for dispensaries simultaneously. We have 100, then another 100, then another 100, then another 100 a few months later, and so on. You don’t need 500 people coming down on a county, all fighting for space, bidding up the price.
Bernabe and Schroyer cover many important topics in the interview. We strongly recommend that anyone who is interested in applying for a New York adult-use cannabis license read the entire thing. There’s so much to learn even from this one answer.
We can (hopefully!) expect to see the final rules and regulations for adult-use by May 11, 2023. This gives us a good runway for compiling the complete application materials.
The application review process will likely be rolling. This means that applications will be reviewed at the time they are received (something we knew but now it is confirmed).
Most likely, applications for different types of licenses will be reviewed simultaneously.
It is interesting that Schroyer’s interview with Bernabe was published just a week after the lawsuit requesting that the OCM/CCB open the application portal. We will see how the litigation affects the OCM’s and CCBs plans, but at least now we have a probable outside date for New York’s adult use cannabis license application portal to be open. Keep watching!