Nearly two dozen more recreational marijuana dispensaries have been approved for Long Island, increasing the total number of such businesses from 40 to 63 — but none have opened since the first licenses were issued in November.
The New York State Cannabis Control Board (CCB) approved the latest round of Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses — the legal document required to open a pot shop or cannabis cafe — at its April 3 meeting.
“These 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,” said CCB Chair Tremaine Wright.
The 23 new licenses for Nassau and Suffolk counties were among 99 issues statewide Monday, bringing the statewide total to 399, although only a handful have opened statewide. Of the previously approved licensees, none have opened on LI since the first round of approvals on Nov. 21, the second batch were approved in January, or the third crop got the OK on March 2.
Entities approved on Monday are Staten Island-based Happy Days Dispensary Inc., online-based Where’s my lighter? LLC, Heritgage Gold & Silver, Mount Sinai-based East Coast Psychedelics Inc., Massapequa-based Alexander Kelch LLC, Lindenhurst-based Gourmet Budz LLC, Legendary Bliss LLC, Freeport-based Brain Bloom LLC, Zaquia Chaplin, Huntington-based AQR Development Funding LLC, Adam S. Drake, Holbrook-based High Path Wellness LLC, Sherwood R. Adams, Mottz Only Authentic New York Style LLC, Jonathan Gibbs doing business as Zooties, Deer Park-based The Gold Source Inc., Rockaway Park-based Neo Wellness LLC, All Safe Electric & Security LLC, AFLI LLC, Kintech Heating and Cooling Inc., Holy Buds Inc., WAO Industries, LLC, and CJ Fuel Oil Inc.
The towns of Southampton, Riverhead, Brookhaven or Babylon are the only LI municipalities to allow pot retailers in their jurisdiction. Local companies have also yet to launch home delivery, which can occur anywhere under state rules. About a dozen farmers who won licenses to grow marijuana on the East End also are not limited to growing in those four towns and a cannabis lab was approved earlier this year in Hauppauge.
Related Story: Meet The Group Behind One of LI’s First Legal Pot Retailers
