The New York Cannabis Control Board approved the 99 new licenses on April 3, increasing the total provisional retail dispensary licenses for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries (CAURD) to 165.

“We are proud of today’s approval of 99 CAURD provisional licenses, marking a vast expansion of the Seeding Opportunity Initiative as we continue to build an equitable market that offsets harms caused by cannabis prohibition and its disproportionate enforcement,” Tremaine Wright, the chair of the Cannabis Control Board, said in a statement.

Chris Alexander, the executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, said that “the approval of these licenses will help expedite building a robust and diverse supply chain while also ensuring that individuals that have been disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition have meaningful opportunities to participate in the industry.”

Wright thanked New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and members of the state legislature in Albany “for helping us reach this day,” and noted that the “new licenses will allow entrepreneurs to fairly participate in the legal market while promoting innovation and creative diversity throughout New York’s ever-growing cannabis supply chain.” 

The Cannabis Control Board said in a press release on Monday that the “licenses included four for Western New York, one for Central New York, five for MidHudson, and three for Brooklyn, marking the first provisional licenses to be issued in these regions following last week’s modification of a court injunction that had prevented the Board from issuing them.”

The board explained the application process: “License applications will continue to be sent to the Board for consideration on a rolling basis. To be eligible, applicants themselves were required to either have had a cannabis conviction or be the family member of someone who has and have owned a profitable business. Nonprofits were eligible if they had a history of serving current or formerly incarcerated individuals, including creating vocational opportunities for them; have at least one justice-involved board member; at least five full-time employees; and have operated a social enterprise that had net assets or profit for at least two years.”

New York launched its adult-use cannabis market late last year with the opening of a retailer in New York City’s East Village neighborhood. 

Other dispensaries have opened in Manhattan since then, while the first legal dispensary in Queens opened late last month, but Brooklyn, New York City’s most populous borough, has so far been left out due to a court-ordered ban last year. 

A federal judge lifted that ban last month, clearing the way for licenses to be awarded not only in Brooklyn, but also Central New York, Western New York and Mid-Hudson.

The Cannabis Control Board said on April 3 that, to date, it has “granted at least one [Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary, or “CAURD”] provisional license in each region other than the Finger Lakes, which remains blocked by the injunction.”

The CAURD license “is a central pillar of the Seeding Opportunity Initiative,’ the board said, noting that the initiative ensures that “New York’s first legal adult-use retail dispensaries will be operated by those most impacted by the enforcement of the prohibition of cannabis or nonprofit organizations whose services include support for the formerly incarcerated.”

“As stated in the MRTA, marijuana laws had disproportionately impacted African-American and Latinx communities. For the past 30 years, Black individuals in New York have been 15 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis-related offenses than their white counterparts. For Latinos, it was 8 times more likely. These arrests perpetuated a cycle of poverty in Black and Brown communities. Accordingly, the criteria for obtaining a CAURD license included having been impacted by the enforcement of the prohibition of cannabis,” the board said in Monday’s press release.

“We are thrilled to announce the addition of 99 more CAURD provisional licenses as we continue to work swiftly and equitably to establish New York’s cannabis industry,” said Alexander.

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The Oklahoma Senate on Tuesday approved legislation that targets the illicit weed industry by requiring medical marijuana businesses to provide proof that they are legally occupying the property where their operations are located. The measure, Senate Bill 806, was approved by the state Senate by a vote of 41-1 on Tuesday and now heads to the state House of Representatives for consideration.

The legislation is one of dozens of bills designed to reign in Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry that have been introduced following the defeat of a ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis earlier this month. Senator Brent Howard, the author of Senate Bill 806, said that the bill is designed to help law enforcement regulate medical marijuana, which was legalized in 2018 with the passage of a statewide ballot measure. If passed by the House and signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt, the legislation would limit the number of medical marijuana businesses that can list the same physical address on their license applications.

“Those who regulate our medical marijuana industry are running into problems when they raid a facility only to learn that there are numerous licensees who utilize that one address and all have product stored there,” Howard said about Senate Bill 806. “This makes it nearly impossible for law enforcement to know what product is actually illegal and to properly investigate the case. This measure would limit the number of licenses that can be listed under one address to help improve regulation and shut down illegal business activity.”

Under the bill, applicants for medical marijuana business licenses would be required to provide proof that they own or rent the property at the address listed on the application. Such proof could consist of a copy of an executed deed of conveyance or a signed lease for the property. An address or physical location would not be permitted to have multiple licenses within the same medical marijuana license category. The bill is designed to help the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority (OMMA) and the state Bureau of Narcotics (OBN) identify medical marijuana businesses that are operating without a required license from the state.

“By requiring full disclosure of possessory right, OMMA and OBN will be able to ensure no illegal operations or bad foreign actors are abusing Oklahoma lands and citizens,” Howard said. “This bill would also ensure we know that there are no straw purchasers for illegal foreign owners coming in after the initial application.”

Recreational Weed Measure Failed This Month in Oklahoma

Senate Bill 806 is one of several bills that have been introduced to help regulate medical marijuana, which was legalized in Oklahoma with the passage of State Quest 788 in 2018. With low barriers to entry including license fees for cannabis businesses of only $2,500 and no limit on the number of cannabis dispensaries, Oklahoma’s medical marijuana industry quickly grew to become one of the largest in the nation.

State Question 788 also had few restrictions to qualify for a medical marijuana card, and the number of registered patients now equals nearly 10% of the state’s population. As of November 2022, Oklahoma had more than 2,300 medical marijuana dispensaries, more than the number of gas stations in the state, according to a report from local media.

Earlier this month, the state’s Republican governor said the state of Oklahoma’s medical marijuana program is largely responsible for the failure of a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana at a special election on March 7. The proposal, State Question 820, was rejected by nearly 62% of voters.

“There’s enough marijuana, I’ve been told, grown in Oklahoma to supply the entire United States. That’s not what this was supposed to be,” Stitt said after State Question 820 failed at the polls. “This was supposed to be about medical use in the state of Oklahoma, and it’s gotten way out of control.”

“As I was traveling the state, I knew Oklahomans didn’t want it,” Stitt added. “They were so tired of a dispensary on every single corner.”

Since then, state lawmakers have filed dozens of cannabis-related bills for this year’s legislative. This week, state Attorney General Gentner Drummond praised Oklahoma lawmakers for passing three of the measures, including Senate Bill 806.

“Oklahoma’s illegal marijuana grow operations pose a serious threat to public safety, particularly in rural communities invaded by organized criminals from China and Mexico,” Drummond said in a statement on Tuesday. “As the state’s chief law enforcement officer, I am committed to working arm-in-arm with Oklahoma’s law enforcement agencies to deliver justice and restore peaceful order.”

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A recent report from Tulsa World states that according to the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (OBNDD), there are a couple thousand unlicensed medical cannabis businesses in the state. “We’ve got close to 2,000 under investigation,” said Mark Woodward, with the Public Information Office at OBNDD. “We’re working with our partners to identify the criminal networks involved.”

Woodward also commented that many of these licenses have been linked to illegal activity. Recently in December 2022, four people were killed “execution style” at a cannabis cultivation facility in Kingfisher County, which is located northwest of Oklahoma City. According to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, the owners of the facility had a medical cultivation license, but OBNDD agents believe that the license was obtained illegally.

Woodward said that those working at illegal cultivation sites are often foreign nationals. “The only thing it did was it shined a light on something we’ve been saying for the last four years,” Woodward said. “It’s the same violent criminal organizations.”

He added that 200 operations have been closed by local law enforcement so far, but the OBNDD is trying to track the source of criminal activity. But until that investigation yields results, Woodward believes that Oklahoma’s medical cannabis industry will continue to suffer. “Something not talked about much is that the legitimate industry is bleeding to death,” Woodward added.

Last year in March, people impersonating police officers performed fake search warrants at numerous cannabis cultivation sites, stealing 100 pounds of cannabis, as well as machines, cash, and cell phones. At the time, Woodward commented on the attacks on cannabis businesses due to the fact that cannabis is still federally illegal, and are forced to mainly deal in cash.

“These farms where there are oftentimes Chinese workers who don’t speak English—they won’t recognize traditional law enforcement,” Woodward told High Times. “They’re not familiar with what Oklahoma law enforcement or what uniforms might look like or what a fraudulent warrant looks like compared to legitimate ones. And so these criminals count on that. That’s why they targeted these specific farms. They saw it as an easy opportunity to take advantage of these workers and hit the farm and take product.” 

Tulsa World shared that some people, such as 3rd District Congressman Frank Lucas, along with 20 other congress members, sent a letter in July 2022 to U.S. Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding the purchase of Oklahoma land by foreign parties. According to the letter, foreign land ownership increased “from 13,720 to 352,140 acres between 2010 and 2020.”

“We are alarmed by the pace at which Chinese companies have been purchasing U.S. agricultural land in recent years. Given this trend, we want to ensure the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has the reporting tools necessary to provide Americans with the fullest possible picture of all foreign purchases of United States land,” the letter stated.

In December 2021, there were 9,400 licensed medical cannabis cultivators. One year later in December 2022 revealed a reduction to 7,086 licenses. Currently, there is a moratorium on new licenses, which went into effect in August 2022 and will end sometime around August 2024.

Medical cannabis was legalized through a voter initiative in 2018, but the state’s low cost of entry (only $2,500 annually) for a cannabis license opened the doors to out-of-state parties. A newer bill, House Bill 2179, was later passed by the governor in May 2022 to increase the annual fees based on the size of a facility or a dispensary’s sales. According to the Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority, this doesn’t go into effect until June 1, 2023.

Although there have been numerous attempts to reign in illegal cannabis activity in Oklahoma, advocates are looking at March to legalize recreational cannabis. Gov. Kevin Stitt set March 7 as the date for a special election where the voter initiative will appear. If passed, State Question 820 would legalize adult-use cannabis and allow cannabis cultivation and sales.

“After all the delays caused by the new signature count process, we are excited to finally be on the ballot on March 7, 2023, so that Oklahomans can experience the benefits of the State Question without further delay,” said Oklahomans for Sensible Marijuana Law Campaign Director Michelle Tilley. “We are grateful the voices of over 164,000 Oklahomans who signed the petition and want to vote on legalizing recreational marijuana for adults in Oklahoma have been heard.”

Originally it was set to appear in the November 2022 ballot, but the submitted signatures were not certified in time.

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New Mexico’s recreational cannabis industry is barely six months old, but regulators say there are already more than two dozen businesses that are not in compliance with state rules.

Local television station KRQE reported last week that the state’s Cannabis Control Division has conducted 100 inspections since adult-use pot sales kicked off in April, finding that “31 businesses are not in compliance.”

The station reported that the division’s inspectors “go out with a checklist and look for any issues,” and that the “list includes control of waste, fire safety, and making sure businesses have security measures.”

“For retailers, they don’t typically have as extensive of a checklist because they’re not growing,” New Mexico Cannabis Control Division Director Andrew Vallejos told KRQE.

According to the station, the state “has not cited any recreational marijuana licenses since it became legal,” and regulators are not taking a punitive approach to the inspections.

“One of the grounds for suspension; is if businesses don’t enter their product in the state’s seed to sale software,” KRQE reported. “Plants are tracked whether they come from New Mexico or out of the state. However, even if businesses slip up on rules, the goal is to get them back on track.”

But per the station, New Mexico officials are “looking to hire two more compliance officers,” given that the “cannabis control division currently has eight compliance officers to inspect 478 businesses that have a recreational marijuana license.”

New Mexico legalized recreational pot for adults in 2021, when Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed a bill into law.

“The legalization of adult-use cannabis paves the way for the creation of a new economic driver in our state with the promise of creating thousands of good paying jobs for years to come,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement at the time. “We are going to increase consumer safety by creating a bona fide industry. We’re going to start righting past wrongs of this country’s failed War on Drugs. And we’re going to break new ground in an industry that may well transform New Mexico’s economic future for the better.”

Adult-use weed sales officially began on April 1 of this year, with sales eclipsing $3 million on the opening weekend.

In July, adult-use cannabis sales in New Mexico exceeded $40 million, which was a new record for the state’s fledgling recreational pot market.

“These numbers show that the impressive sales generated in the first month of legalized recreational cannabis sales were no fluke – and this is only the beginning,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement at the time. “We’ve established a new industry that is already generating millions of dollars in local and state revenue and will continue to generate millions more in economic activity across the state, creating thousands of jobs for New Mexicans in communities both small and large.”

When she signed the legalization bill into law back in 2021, Lujan Grisham framed the measure as a potential economic boon for a state that, like many others, was still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“As we look to rebound from the economic downturn caused by the pandemic, entrepreneurs will benefit from this great opportunity to create lucrative new enterprises, the state and local governments will benefit from the added revenue and, importantly, workers will benefit from the chance to land new types of jobs and build careers,” Lujan Grisham said in a statement.

“This legislation is a major, major step forward for our state,” the governor continued. “Legalized adult-use cannabis is going to change the way we think about New Mexico for the better — our workforce, our economy, our future. We’re ready to break new ground. We’re ready to invest in ourselves and the limitless potential of New Mexicans. And we’re ready to get to work in making this industry a successful one.”

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New York officially began accepting applications for recreational cannabis dispensaries on Thursday, a milestone in the Empire State’s new era of legalization.

The state’s Office of Cannabis Management said that the window for the first round of applications will run until September 26.

As previously announced earlier this year, the first dispensary licenses will be awarded to individuals with cannabis-related convictions on their record, or family members of individuals who have been convicted of pot-related offenses, a program known as the “Seeding Opportunity Initiative.”

“Today’s announcement brings us to the precipice of legal, licensed cannabis sales in New York State,” Tremaine Wright, chair of the Cannabis Control Board, said in a statement on Monday. “With the Seeding Opportunity Initiative, New York has affirmed our commitment to making sure the first sales are conducted by those harmed by prohibition. We’re writing a new playbook for what an equitable launch of a cannabis industry looks like, and hope future states follow our lead.”

Chris Alexander, the executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, said that the launch of the application period marked a “monumental step in establishing the most equitable, diverse, and accessible cannabis industry in the nation.”

“We’ve worked to make this application as simple as possible for all interested applicants, and I cannot emphasize it enough that you do not need any legal expertise to fill this application out,” Alexander said.

The state announced the initiative back in March, with Alexander saying at the time that at least the first 100 dispensary licenses would be awarded to individuals with convictions.

Since legalizing recreational pot for adults last year, New York has made a concerted effort to do right by individuals and communities who were most adversely affected by cannabis prohibition.

In January, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the creation of a $200 million fund to support social equity applicants looking to enter the state’s new legal cannabis industry.

“New York’s legalized cannabis industry is in development, with the State expecting to issue licenses for adult recreational use. But the rise of what is estimated to be a $4.2 billion industry must create opportunities for all New Yorkers, particularly those from historically marginalized communities,” the governor’s office said in the announcement at the time.

“In support of that goal, Governor Hochul will create a $200 million public-private fund to support social equity applicants as they plan for and build out their businesses,” the announcement continued. “Licensing fees and tax revenue will seed the fund and leverage significant private investment.”

Last month, Hochul announced a $5 million grant to the state’s community colleges in support of “programs that will create or enhance non-degree and degree-eligible courses and programs, stackable credentials, and/or microcredentials that quickly address local employer skill needs within the cannabis sector, a projected multi-billion dollar industry with tens of thousands [of] jobs.”

“New York’s new cannabis industry is creating exciting opportunities, and we will ensure that New Yorkers who want careers in this growing sector have the quality training they need to be successful,” Hochul said in the announcement. “Diversity and inclusion are what makes New York’s workforce a competitive, powerful asset, and we will continue to take concrete steps to help ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate in the cannabis industry.”

The community colleges selected for the grant “must also partner with local employers in the cannabis industry and receive their input on curriculum development,” the state said last month, adding that “the New York State Department of Labor and the Office of Cannabis Management will support efforts to expand learning opportunities by helping to connect businesses and job seekers to these essential training programs.”

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The state of Illinois on Friday announced plans to award 185 new dispensary licenses for its adult-use cannabis program, less than a month after a judge cleared the way for the process to begin anew.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said that the licenses will be awarded in “three waves” of lotteries this summer, and that the “pace of licensing will be determined by how quickly applicants’ compliance checks can be verified.”

“Today marks the beginning of the next chapter of the most equitable adult-use cannabis program in the country,” Illinois Governor JB Pritzker said in a statement on Friday. “After signing the most equity-centered program in the country into law, expunging thousands of low-level cannabis convictions, and investing tens of millions of dollars in cannabis proceeds in communities failed by the war on drugs, we are about to more than double the number of adult use cannabis dispensaries in Illinois. This means countless more opportunities for communities that have suffered from historic disinvestment to join this growing industry and ensure its makeup reflects the diversity of our state.”

The announcement on Friday was made possible by a ruling late last month from Cook County Circuit Judge Michael Mullen, who lifted a stay on new recreational cannabis dispensary licenses that had lasted nearly a year. 

The courts had issued an injunction on new licenses while it considered from parties who said they were wrong excluded from previous lotteries.

According to the Chicago Tribune, “Black and Latino applicants have complained they have been unfairly kept out of the legal cannabis business in Illinois, where just 21 licenses for full-size growers have been issued, almost entirely to white owners, several of whom have come to dominate the industry nationally.”

In March, Pritzker’s administration announced “rules to simplify the cannabis dispensary license application process, remove barriers for social equity applicants, and expand opportunities targeted to the communities most impacted by the failed war on drugs.”

“From day one, Illinois has been dedicated to leading the nation in an equity-centric approach to legalizing cannabis, and these proposed changes to the application process will make it much easier for social equity applicants to pursue licenses.” Pritzker, a Democrat, said at the time. “I appreciate all the feedback we have received from stakeholders since the start of the cannabis program, whose work informed this proposal and is continuing to make Illinois’ growing cannabis industry the most equitable in the nation.”

Mario Treto, Jr., Acting Secretary of the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, said at the time that the state is “committed to an inclusive and equitable cannabis program that continues to build on its successes while also recognizing and taking steps to improve it further.”

The state said Friday that to “ensure fairness for all applicants and correct any errors in the lottery process, [Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation] has also announced its plans to conduct three corrective lotteries in June (one for each of the cannabis dispensary license lotteries held in 2021).”

“We recognize this is a long-awaited day by many seeking to join the most diverse and inclusive adult use cannabis industry of any state and IDFPR is prepared to take the next steps forward together,” Treto said in a press release on Friday. “Our agency is ready to work with applicants throughout the next stage so they may obtain their licenses and join Illinois’ robust adult use cannabis industry.”

The Department of Financial and Professional Regulation said Friday that it will issue conditional licenses in three lottery waves beginning on or before July 22.

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Arizona state regulators awarded cannabis social equity business licenses last week, selecting 26 lucky winners out of a lottery pool of nearly 1,200 applicants. The Arizona Department of Health Services Offices selected the winners at its office on Friday after a judge ended a challenge to the state’s program to award licenses for recreational cannabis dispensaries to applicants negatively impacted by the War on Drugs.

State officials and applicants crowded the health department’s Phoenix office on Friday as the winning applicants were randomly selected using Smartplay International state lottery software. The process was operated and audited by Henry & Horne LLP to ensure the security of the selection lottery. The selected applicants will now begin the process to open licensed adult-use cannabis dispensaries.

Legalization with Equity

Proposition 207, the historic voter initiative to legalize recreational cannabis passed by Arizona voters in 2020, included provisions to “promote the ownership and operation of marijuana establishments and marijuana testing facilities by individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws.” Applicant Arianna Munoz told reporters before the lottery that the social equity program has the potential to change her life.

“It would create generational wealth for me and my family. It would give me more opportunities to create other business ventures,” said Munoz, who was not selected in Friday’s lottery. “I’ve always wanted to be a brand owner and dispensary owner and it was the perfect time.”

Arizona’s legalization initiative included provisions to grant recreational cannabis business licenses to the state’s existing medical dispensaries, which began selling cannabis products to adults in January 2021. But social equity retailers will not be able to sell cannabis for medicinal purposes.

“Prop. 207 didn’t amend the Arizona Medical Marijuana act at all, so the reason why the currently established medical licenses can be kind of co-located is because they already existed,” explained Sam Richard, executive director of the Arizona Dispensary Association. “The only new licenses Prop. 207 created were adult-use, recreational licenses.”

Jon Udell, the director of politics for the Arizona branch of the National Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, said that a bill to fix the issue has died in the state legislature.

“Right now there just isn’t really a realistic path forward” for a legislative solution,” Udell said.

Arizona Judge Denies Legal Challenge

On Wednesday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge James Smith ruled against three social applicants who filed a legal action to delay Friday’s lottery. Paul Conant, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said that the social equity licenses should not be awarded before the health department conducted background checks on the applicants. He argued that the process could lead to the selection of unqualified applicants.

“This is a one-time deal in Arizona,” Conant argued at a hearing on Wednesday. Awarding licenses to unqualified applicants only to revoke them later “would be unfair to all the other people who have submitted applications, paid their $4,000 application fee, and otherwise have gone through the process of trying to qualify.”

But the judge rejected the argument and declined to issue an injunction to block Friday’s lottery.

“The Court finds that the Department properly exercised power that Proposition 207 expressly gave it, used proper procedures, and used its discretion when deciding whether to hold the drawing before or after completing the checks,” Smith wrote in a ruling quoted by the Phoenix New Times.

Other challenges to Arizona’s cannabis social equity program focused on the details of business ownership. Under the regulations, qualified individuals must own 51% of a social equity business, allowing large corporations and multi-state operators an avenue to partner with applicants to operate under the program. Business owners are also permitted to sell their licenses to companies that are not owned by social equity applicants. Critics charge the rules for the program fail to live up to its social equity objectives.

Because Arizona’s recreational cannabis regulations include a cap on the number of adult-use dispensaries that can be licensed by the state, the social equity licenses awarded last week will be the last to be awarded for the foreseeable future. The selected applicants have 18 months to open their dispensaries. A list of the lottery winners is available online.

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Representative Donald M. Payne, Jr. issued an official statement on January 28, announcing his disapproval that not a single cannabis license, out of 56 licenses issued in New Jersey, was granted to Black-owned businesses.

New Jersey’s Cannabis Regulatory Commission (CRC) is the entity in charge of issuing any cannabis licenses, and the CRC has not issued one to any of the state’s Black business owners. The CRC started taking applications from adult-use cannabis growers, manufacturers and testing labs on December 15, 2021.

Medical cannabis has been legal in the state since 2012. Last year, New Jersey legalized marijuana for adult us, paving the way for retail sales. But in the 10 years of legalization, not one Black-owned cannabis business has been granted a license, according to the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey.

“I am outraged to hear that Black-owned businesses have been shut out of the state’s cannabis marketplace,” said Rep. Donald M. Payne, Jr. “Black users are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white users, even though overall use for both groups is almost the same.  New Jersey has a chance to correct this inequality and allow people abused by the system to finally benefit from it with a fair distribution of cannabis business licenses.  Instead, we are seeing the same inequality with these licenses that we see in marijuana arrests. Governor Phil Murphy promised that the state’s cannabis industry would right the wrongs of the past as it concerns social justice.  Now, New Jersey needs to uphold this promise.  I join the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey in their outrage that this inequality continues to plague our state, our society, and our country.”      

The African American Chamber of Commerce (AACCNJ) brought up the issue in the first place, saying that Black business owners were excluded from New Jersey’s cannabis business in a press release issued January 27.

“Our intent here is not to go back and forth with Governor Murphy and the CRC, but is to make a point,” Founder, President and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, John E. Harmon, Sr., IOM told High Times. “I believe that we spent a lot of time establishing medical cannabis that dates back to 2009 with Governor Christie, and Governor Murphy has expanded it. In that length of time, somebody should have figured out the process. They knew—it’s well-documented—that Black and brown people had been severely penalized from this industry. So New Jersey has not put a policy in place like New York to include minority women. Had that policy been in place, the equity would have been clearly understood […]”

Harmon continued, “Without policy, you leave it to others to get in where they fit in. That doesn’t say much to the people who gave this administration 94 percent of the vote.”

“Based on conversations I’ve had, with stakeholders, out of the 56 licenses awarded to date, none has been awarded to a Black-owned business. People need to know what’s going on,” stated Harmon.

A specific CRC requirement, Harmon says, that license applicants maintain site control while the CRC considers their applications, is what’s keeping some Black entrepreneurs from participating in the industry. Applicants must have control of the real estate of operations. This means that many applicants are burdened with monthly lease payments which cannot be deducted as a business expense—given the federal status of cannabis.

Social justice is the backbone of dozens of state cannabis reform bills across the country. Governor Phil Murphy ushered in the creation of New Jersey’s cannabis industry in the name of social justice. “The clock is ticking,” Harmon said, mirroring what other state leaders are saying as well.

States around the country are touting social justice with provisions such as a social equity fund in New York, but walking the walk is another story.   

Furthermore, getting New Jersey’s adult-use cannabis consumer market online may not meet a self-imposed deadline originally set for late February. Jeff Brown, the executive director of the CRC, said a number of factors are still in the way before sales can begin.

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First reported by the Los Angeles Times, the geographically small city of West Hollywood plans to rebrand itself as a cannabis mecca, or as “Emerald Village”—a name coined by a cannabis trade group of the same name. At less than two square miles in size, the city is packing in cannabis businesses, and could reinvent itself as the “Amsterdam of the far West.”

“Welcome to the Emerald Village, the capital of cannabis culture,” the organization says on its website. “We invite you to explore all the gems West Hollywood has to offer in this golden age of cannabis including culinary, wellness, entertainment, nightlife, art and personalized experiences.” Emerald Village calls itself the “official marketing organization for licensed cannabis businesses in West Hollywood.”

West Hollywood is currently home to just six dispensaries, but city officials plan to approve as many as 40 cannabis permits over the course of the next year.

West Hollywood is already home to one cannabis retailer for every 5,959 residents—a much higher concentration of cannabis businesses than even Los Angeles. West Hollywood Community and Legislative Affairs Manager John Leonard told Los Angeles Times that the city received over 300 applications for just eight licenses to operate dispensaries in 2018.

It would be a rebrand from West Hollywood’s current status as the LGBTQ “main street” of Los Angeles—with over 21 gay bars on Santa Monica Blvd alone. But the city’s high focus on retail is ideal for cannabis brands as well.

Current member organizations of Emerald Village West Hollywood include Alternative Herbal Health Services (AHHS), The Artist Tree, CALMA, LA Patients and Caregivers Group (LAPCG), MedMen and Zen Healing Collective.

“I really see it as a place that can redefine what the image of cannabis is to the general public,” Kelly Lyon, of The Artist Tree told CBS News. “It would be awesome to be able to have a business where you can appreciate art. If yoga is more your thing, you can walk down the street and do that while you consume and everyone is sort of bringing a different idea to the table.”

It makes sense—considering that West Hollywood is already a pioneer in cannabis culture. A few years ago, Lowell Farms opened what it called “America’s first cannabis restaurant,” a café serving cannabis-infused foods.

“From the first cannabis café in the United States to entertainment and art venues enhanced by cannabis, West Hollywood’s Emerald Village is home to the most unique and creative cannabis experiences in the world,” Scott Schmidt, Emerald Village Executive Director told WeHoville. “The Emerald Village is ready to welcome travelers who will appreciate our imaginative cannabis experiences alongside our iconic LGBT nightlife, entertainment, world-class hotels, award-winning restaurants and strong sense of community.”

The development is being driven in part by celebrities. The Parent Company—Jay-Z’s massive cannabis enterprise—recently purchased the female-run CALMA, a West Hollywood dispensary according to an October 4 press release. Patricia Arquette plans to open an edible lounge in the Flaming Saddles building—the same building where Prince recorded “Purple Rain.”

Woody Harrelson launched numerous attempts to become involved with cannabis businesses in West Hollywood, getting denied a dispensary permit in 2016. Bill Maher is also getting involved in the business plans.

Clothing and fashion stores are also getting involved. Fred Segal’s flagship Sunset location, which sits on the West Hollywood-Los Angeles border area, hosted a cannabis pop-up that drew The Freak Brothers cast Pete Davidson, Blake Anderson, John Goodman, Andrea Savage, Phil LaMarr and Danny Gendron.

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Regulators in New Jersey last week voted to significantly increase the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in the state. 

In a four to one vote on Friday, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission agreed “to issue 10 new licenses for medical marijuana cultivators and four new licenses for vertically integrated businesses, which grow, manufacture and sell medical marijuana at dispensaries,” the Asbury Park Press reported.

With the approval from the commission, the “number of legal cannabis growers in the state will more than double,” according to the newspaper.

The publication noted that by “the state’s own estimates, there should be 26 medical marijuana cultivators and 61 dispensaries to handle that number of patients,” but instead “the state has just 23 active dispensaries selling cannabis grown by only 10 operators.”

New Jersey legalized medical cannabis in 2010, when then-governor Jon Corzine signed the Compassionate Use of Medical Marijuana Act, which cleared the way for qualifying patients to receive the treatment. Today, those qualifying conditions include: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Anxiety, Cancer, Chronic Pain, Dysmenorrhea, Glaucoma Inflammatory bowel disease including Crohn’s disease, Intractable skeletal spasticity, Migraine, Multiple sclerosis, Muscular dystrophy and Opioid Use Disorder.

The list of qualifying conditions broadened in 2018, when New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced a slate of reforms designed to “expand access to marijuana for medical purposes and to reduce barriers that patients face when they are seeking access to medicinal marijuana.” Some of the recommendations in Murphy’s reform push included establishing “new categories of qualifying debilitating medical conditions,” among them: anxiety, migraines, Tourette’s syndrome, chronic pain related to musculoskeletal disorders and chronic visceral pain. 

Last year, New Jersey was one of four states where voters passed ballot proposals legalizing recreational marijuana (Arizona, Montana and South Dakota were the others), and lawmakers in the Garden State have been busy implementing a regulated system.

New Jersey Medical Cannabis Industry is a Work in Progress

In February, Murphy signed the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory, Enforcement Assistance, and Marketplace Modernization Act, which officially legalized pot use for adults aged 21 and older.

Murphy, a Democrat, said the legislation will “establish an industry that brings equity and economic opportunity to our communities, while establishing minimum standards for safe products and allowing law enforcement to focus their resources on real public safety matters.”

“Our current marijuana prohibition laws have failed every test of social justice, which is why for years I’ve strongly supported the legalization of adult-use cannabis. Maintaining a status quo that allows tens of thousands, disproportionately people of color, to be arrested in New Jersey each year for low-level drug offenses is unjust and indefensible,” Murphy said in a statement. “This November, New Jerseyans voted overwhelmingly in support of creating a well-regulated adult-use cannabis market. Although this process has taken longer than anticipated, I believe it is ending in the right place and will ultimately serve as a national model.”

In addition to that bill, Murphy also signed also signed S3454, which clarified “marijuana and cannabis use and possession penalties for individuals younger than 21 years old.”

“Today, we’re taking a monumental step forward to reduce racial disparities in our criminal justice system, while building a promising new industry and standing on the right side of history. I’d like to thank the Legislature, advocates, faith leaders, and community leaders for their dedicated work and partnership on this critical issue,” Murphy said at the time.

In the vote on Friday, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission also hammered out new terms for license holders, including one provision requiring them to “wait at least one year before applying for a permit to transition into recreational sales and cannot change ownership for two years,” the Asbury Park Press reported.

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