New York State marijuana officials launch applications for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary Licenses

(WBNG) -- In efforts to continue to support those impacted by the over policing of marijuana, today the Office of Cannabis Management also known as “OCM” has launched their Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary application also known as (CAURD).

“Opening today is the ability to for up to 150 individuals and twenty five non profits to be awarded licenses the way that these licenses will be awarded is regionally " Said Board Member for the Cannabis Association of New York, Owen Martinetti.

OCM said if approved the license will give New Yorker’s who have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition the first chance to profit from legal cannabis sales. Martinetti said although there are many qualifications; the main two are:

1. The applicant must have owned or operate a qualifying business.

2. Applicants must have had a prior marijuana related conviction.

“New York state is taking a lot of resources and a lot of emphasis to try to right the wrong of the war on drugs in New York state which has gone on for way to long” said Owen Martinetti.

He said if approved, the state will help to provide resources.

“That includes the states actually going to provide the location through the DASNY program, and that takes away a lot of the risk for these applicants because if they get awarded their essentially given a location and there’s going to be other support such as mentorship and training from the state for these awardees”.

In conjunction Martinetti said this will also impact our local economy and the goal is to create opportunities for New Yorkers making them leaders in the states cannabis industry.