New York to Award 100 Social Equity Dispensary Licenses

“Justice Involved” Licenses for New York Adult-Use Dispensaries

The State of New York will issue at least 100 adult-use cannabis dispensary licenses to applicants with prior offenses related to cannabis, using the term “justice involved”.

The draft regulations that were just released provide some guidelines – and leave some gaps of information. 

Our team of licensing experts can help you navigate these important elements of the draft regulations and be prepared for when the full application is available.

Important elements:

• Determine “justice involved” eligibility 
• Navigate qualifying ownership structure options
• Start business planning and financial modeling for your application

If you think you qualify for the “justice involved” application criteria or want to join in forming a qualified dispensary team, let’s talk.

Details about we know now about justice involved dispensary licenses in New York:

• The state will issue at least 100 of this type of adult-use license.
• Eligibility includes cannabis-related offenses for the applicant or the applicant’s family members.
• The state will consider the type of offense and where the person lived at the time of the offense.
• The applicant will need to show business experience, to include profitability in two of the last four years.
• At least 30% ownership must be retained by the eligible justice involved party in some instances, and at least 51% ownership in other scenarios.
• There are additional residency and ownership requirements.
• Certain non-profit organizations in New York may apply.
• We do expect the process to be quick once the application is announced.

What is yet to be announced about justice involved dispensary licenses in New York:

• Application release date
• Application scoring and priority details
• Application deadline