New York Cannabis Regulators to Host Educational Workshops for Entrepreneurs Seeking Adult-Use Licenses

New York’s cannabis regulators plan to host educational workshops this week to provide support for entrepreneurs seeking licenses in the adult-use market.

The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will hold two virtual sessions on May 17 and 18 to offer information for those applying for the first round of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses, according to a Syracuse.com report.

The “Get Ready, Get Set" workshops will focus on the eligibility criteria for applicants who have been negatively impacted by cannabis prohibition and how the organizations that work with those applicants can support them, the news outlet reported.

At 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17, the OCM will host a workshop titled “Am I Eligible for a CAURD License? How do I Apply for a Conditional License?” That workshop will be followed by one called “How to Support Individuals with a Cannabis Conviction in Applying for License,” which will be held at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, May 18.

The OCM then plans to hold two “listening series” workshops next week to focus on how to support cannabis cultivation and ensure equity in New York’s adult-use cannabis industry, Syracuse.com reported.

More information about the events can be found on the OCM’s website.

Regulators released rules for conditional adult-use cannabis licenses in March. Most of the rules are still in draft form, with a public comment period running through May 31, according to Syracuse.com.

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OCM spokesman Aaron Ghitelman told the news outlet that regulators are basing the guidance provided in the upcoming workshops on the draft regulations, but that “nothing is set in stone.”

In order to qualify for a social equity license, applicants must have a cannabis-related conviction that occurred before March 31, 2022, when the Marijuana Regulation and Tax Act (MRTA) passed to legalize adult-use cannabis in New York, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal.

Those who have close family members with a qualifying cannabis-related conviction also qualify as social equity applicants, the news outlet reported.

New York’s adult-use cannabis market is expected to launch this fall.