New Yorkers should expect hundreds of new marijuana dispensaries to open in coming months after regulators on Monday approved a settlement deal that seeks to end a high-profile lawsuit that temporarily derailed the state’s cannabis industry.
Under the proposed settlement, a group of four military service-disabled veterans will receive marijuana dispensary licenses and other legal protections intended to smooth their path to opening adult-use cannabis businesses, court records show.
Now, a judge will consider approving the settlement, which would end the veterans’ lawsuit that claimed state regulators unjustly awarded initial dispensary licenses exclusively to businesses impacted by prior marijuana convictions. State officials did not admit to any wrongdoing under the settlement, which was approved by the state Cannabis Control Board during an emergency meeting.