BudDigest

110 Adult-Use Cannabis Retailers Open and Operating in New York State

Governor Kathy Hochul on April 17th, announced New York State has reached a significant milestone in growing the legal cannabis industry with the grand opening of the 100th Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary brick-and-mortar store, Big Gas located in New Paltz, NY. The Office of Cannabis Management joined Big Gas owners, Kareem Haynesworth and Zymia Lewis for the grand opening of the dispensary for public sales.  

“New York State continues to make progress on standing up a safe and legal cannabis industry for business owners, farmers and residents across the state,” Governor Hochul said. “Today marks a historic milestone in establishing a thriving and equitable industry in our state with the 100th brick-and-mortar store opening.”

New York currently has 110 adult-use cannabis retailers (including storefronts and temporary delivery-only (TDO) locations) open and operating across the State, with more anticipated to open soon. These retailers represent a diverse mix of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licensees with storefronts, CAURD licensees providing delivery services, and adult-use dispensaries co-located with existing medical dispensaries. The growth of the cannabis industry in New York is reflected in the rapidly growing retail sales figures, with total

Read More Here...

North Carolina’s first cannabis dispensary opened last week. The April 20 opening of the Great Smoky Cannabis Co. was attended by hundreds. Here’s your guide to medical marijuana in N.C.

“This project will change the trajectory of their lives forever. It will be a conduit to generations of social, economic, and spiritual growth, unlike anything that’s ever been witnessed,” Forrest Parker, general manager for Qualla Enterprises, said at the opening ceremony, Will Hofmann of the Citizen Times reported.

While the first N.C. dispensary is now officially open for business, the process of purchasing medical marijuana is not without terms and conditions. Here’s what to know about buying medical marijuana in N.C.

Find us in your favorite podcast app:
Spotify SoundCloud iTunes Stitcher

This episode of The Ganjapreneur Podcast features Tara Rosenblum, an investigative reporter for News 12, who has recently released a compelling documentary titled “Cannabis Contest.” The documentary offers an in-depth look at the social equity aspects of cannabis licensing in New York City, showcasing the challenges and triumphs of hopeful licensees within the evolving legal landscape — including another previous guest on the show, Jeremy Rivera. With nearly two decades of investigative reporting experience in the New York City market, Tara explores the community dynamics and the critical issues affecting residents and aspiring entrepreneurs. This episode dives into the complexities of cannabis policy, personal journeys of license applicants, and the broader societal implications as cannabis goes from underground economy to regulated business. To listen to the full episode, use the player below or stream via your favorite podcast app! (Scroll down for the full transcript.)

Listen to the episode: Transcript:

Editor’s note: this transcript was auto-generated and may contain errors.

Commercial (00:03):

The Ganjapreneur Podcast is made possible by over 500 cannabis industry service providers in Ganjapreneur Cannabis Business Index.

Read More Here...

When Joseph Abramov was 19, he saw a business opportunity in the up-and-coming weed delivery scene, albeit one that was still illegal. “Everyone was involved. Everything was under the table,” he told Our Town. He began running his own delivery service in Queens, and built a business that he described as “dominating” the market. But throughout its operations, he’d run into trouble with the law “a bunch of times” and watch his associates go to prison. After two years, he decided to close up shop and pivot to something more legitimate, more stable. For the 13 years since, he’s been a real estate investor and developer, though his passion for marijuana never went away. Urban Leaf, a new cannabis dispensary on 977 2nd Ave. in Midtown East, near 52nd St. is Abramov’s reentry into the market, this time with the state’s blessing. As a licensee under the state Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program, which granted first dibs on dispensary licenses to those convicted of marijuana-related offenses and their immediate family members, he’s among the first wave of legal weed entrepreneurs in New York City. But the program’s rollout has been less than ideal, hampered by lawsuits, a flood of

Read More Here...

Editor’s note: this article originally appeared in The Outlaw Report, and has been republished with permission.

The Last Prisoner Project (LPP) spearheaded a week-long advocacy effort in Washington D.C. last week, culminating in the 420 Unity Day of Action. The initiative, the largest bi-partisan cannabis advocacy event to date according to LPP, aimed to push for federal legalization and provide relief for individuals still incarcerated for cannabis offenses.

LPP coordinated lobbying efforts with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle. A press conference featured supportive remarks from prominent figures like Senators Ron Wyden and Cory Booker, and Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Ayanna Pressley. The message focused on the social and racial injustice inherent in cannabis criminalization, particularly considering legalization efforts gaining traction across the country.

The human impact of cannabis prohibition was highlighted throughout the week. A candlelight vigil outside the White House drew attention to the plight of those still imprisoned for cannabis-related offenses. Advocates emphasized the racial disparities in such arrests, pointing to stories like those of LPP constituents Bryan Reid, Kyle Page and Andy Cox – individuals who served time for cannabis offenses.

LPP urged lawmakers to co-sponsor federal legalization bills like the MORE Act and the

Read More Here...

The Minnesota House of Representatives voted last week to adopt new social equity rules and other changes to the state’s adult-use cannabis program, according to a MinnPost report.

House Bill 4757 was approved on a mostly party-line vote but its sponsor Rep. Zack Stephenson (D) said he was open to additional changes.

“I look forward to the conference committee discussion and continued good work on this bill. Particularly on the provisions surrounding the proposed changes to the lottery, which I know a lot of people are working on and thinking about.” — Stephenson, via MinnPost

If passed into law, the proposal would establish an earlier cannabis business license lottery for social equity applicants, which include people living in high-poverty areas, people living in areas where cannabis enforcement has been more commonplace, and people with cannabis-related convictions on their record; additionally, the law would reduce the amount of up-front financing required for social equity applicants from 100% to 65%. The social equity lottery would come before a general licensing lottery and the earlier licensees would be able to open their businesses ahead of the competition. Under the House-approved rules, social equity license holders would be able to sell their license to a non-social equity

Read More Here...

Cannabis patients and advocates in North Carolina on Saturday celebrated the opening of the state’s first medical cannabis dispensary, WLOS reports.

Cannabis remains prohibited in North Carolina except in the Qualla Boundary territory governed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), where medical cannabis was legalized last year following a successful voter referendum.

The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary’s 4/20 grand opening marked “the first legal, regulated, safe cannabis to be sold within the boundaries of North Carolina,” Forrest Parker, the shop’s general manager, said in the report.

“We’re just proud to be the first to enter into this industry, but in this opportunity, it’s pretty much a people’s opportunity. We’re cultivators of people, not just plants, and that’s really important to us. Everything we’re doing is for our people.” — Parker, via WLOS

The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary only serves patients who are either registered with the EBCI’s Cannabis Control Board or who are medical cannabis cardholders from another state or tribal cannabis program. The dispensary currently sells products provided by Cooper’s Creek Farm, a local grower and manufacturer.

North Carolina lawmakers last year considered legalizing medical cannabis statewide but the effort was dropped due to steep opposition in

Read More Here...

Cannabis patients and advocates in North Carolina on Saturday celebrated the opening of the state’s first medical cannabis dispensary, WLOS reports.

Cannabis remains prohibited in North Carolina except in the Qualla Boundary territory governed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), where medical cannabis was legalized last year following a successful voter referendum.

The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary’s 4/20 grand opening marked “the first legal, regulated, safe cannabis to be sold within the boundaries of North Carolina,” Forrest Parker, the shop’s general manager, said in the report.

“We’re just proud to be the first to enter into this industry, but in this opportunity, it’s pretty much a people’s opportunity. We’re cultivators of people, not just plants, and that’s really important to us. Everything we’re doing is for our people.” — Parker, via WLOS

The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary only serves patients who are either registered with the EBCI’s Cannabis Control Board or who are medical cannabis cardholders from another state or tribal cannabis program. The dispensary currently sells products provided by Cooper’s Creek Farm, a local grower and manufacturer.

North Carolina lawmakers last year considered legalizing medical cannabis statewide but the effort was dropped due to steep opposition in

Read More Here...

Cannabis patients and advocates in North Carolina on Saturday celebrated the opening of the state’s first medical cannabis dispensary, WLOS reports.

Cannabis remains prohibited in North Carolina except in the Qualla Boundary territory governed by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), where medical cannabis was legalized last year following a successful voter referendum.

The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary’s 4/20 grand opening marked “the first legal, regulated, safe cannabis to be sold within the boundaries of North Carolina,” Forrest Parker, the shop’s general manager, said in the report.

“We’re just proud to be the first to enter into this industry, but in this opportunity, it’s pretty much a people’s opportunity. We’re cultivators of people, not just plants, and that’s really important to us. Everything we’re doing is for our people.” — Parker, via WLOS

The Great Smoky Cannabis Dispensary only serves patients who are either registered with the EBCI’s Cannabis Control Board or who are medical cannabis cardholders from another state or tribal cannabis program. The dispensary currently sells products provided by Cooper’s Creek Farm, a local grower and manufacturer.

North Carolina lawmakers last year considered legalizing medical cannabis statewide but the effort was dropped due to steep opposition in

Read More Here...

The line outside security to get in on 4/20 was long at new business Good Life Collective. Above the music, the din, the voice of the mayor of Rochester came through the walls from inside the store at 155 Monroe Ave.

“5…4…3…2…1,” Mayor Malik Evans said. “Happy 420!”

The inside crowd answered in kind.

In the lobby, the line would be moving soon to screen people and let them take a look at Rochester’s first legal, permanent cannabis dispensary. But first, the amped squad of waiting clients speculated about the festivities they could only hear through the wall.

“They should have had the mayor rip a bong hit and when he pulls out the stem it starts a Rube Goldberg machine that cuts the ribbon,” said one guy. The crowd laughed.

Inside, the mayor’s scissors were being put back in the city’s off-white “Ceremonial Scissors” box.

Owner and president Hiram Hernandez was circulating the shopping floor, beaming.

His family worked for years to make this dream come true — even opening a store in Oregon to learn about the business first. Being able to show profit on their overall business books was key, he said. The Puerto Rican family also runs a payments business.

<aside aria-label="advertisement" class="gnt_m gnt_x

Read More Here...