Top 3 Things to Know About New York’s CAURD Application

New York Cannabis License Consultants Share Tips on Location & Timing

August 25 marks the start of the conditional adult-use retail dispensary (“CAURD”) application window in New York. This license is only available for individuals who meet the Justice Involved and business ownership requirements. 

For those who do meet the necessary requirements and who are eager and able to apply before the September 26 window closing date, here are three things to be aware of. 

1) Location: Regional Preferences

After some confusion surrounding location specifics, it is now clear and known that CAURD applicants will not be able to identify an exact location for their dispensary and must use a location that will be assigned by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (“DASNY”). 

Applicants will, however, be able to select up to five regional preferences from the 14 listed within the State of New York for their dispensary location. The allocation of dispensaries and the number of such in each region will be announced at a later date. 

These regions are: Bronx, Brooklyn, Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Long Island, Manhattan, Mid-Hudson, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Queens, Richmond, Southern Tier, and Western New York.

2) Take Your Time

The window for CAURD applications is August 25 – September 26. End of information, right? Apply as soon as the window opens at the end of August, right? Not so fast! 

CAURD licenses will not be awarded on a rolling basis like we saw with conditional cultivators and conditional processors. This means that if you submit all your materials on the very first day, you will not be awarded a license sooner than those who submit on the very last day. 

Instead of rushing to apply on Day 1, take advantage of the full time period. Prepare a thorough response. And, keep an eye on any updates or clarifications to the regulations and be sure to adjust accordingly before submitting your materials.

Stay up to date with news and updates from the Office here.   

3) Stay Active After You Submit

The window for applying for this license is noticeably shorter (an entire 30 days) compared to the other conditional licenses, indicating that the Cannabis Control Board (a part of the Office) may take some more time considering and reviewing the applications once the window closes then it has done with past licenses.

It is also worth noting the upcoming election. While we believe it is unlikely there will be a change in governorship, or that an incoming New York legislature would be openly hostile towards cannabis, we expect there could be delays associated with the rollout or approval of these licenses given the election. Resources, time, and energy at a state level, as we have often seen with other states during election cycles, will likely be diverted to other areas. 

This means it is ideal to be patient and use your time to focus on strengthening other areas of your business – from building community support to researching more about the cannabis industry. 

 

Our New York cannabis license experts continue to monitor developments and are ready to guide you through the process.

Contact our team for more details on how to prepare and submit your NY CAURD license application.