No new weed shops will be able to open in New York, after a judge blocked cannabis regulators from moving forward with retail licensing on Monday.
The order is the latest blow to New York’s ambitious effort to ensure that people harmed by marijuana enforcement are able the reap the financial benefits of legalization.
The ruling sides with a group of service-disabled veterans, who filed a lawsuit last week, arguing that a priority licensing program for entrepreneurs impacted by marijuana enforcement was unconstitutional.
The court is blocking the state’s cannabis regulatory agencies from issuing new licenses and from granting operational approval to those who are already licensed and working toward opening up dispensaries.
New York Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant ruled that without a court order blocking the cannabis licensing program, it appears “that there is genuine urgency and that immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result” if the licensing program moves forward, his order read.
The background: New