New York Grants First Recreational Cannabis Licenses to Ex-Convicts and Families

Get ready for some weddings in New York.

A state agency on Monday granted the Empire State’s first recreational marijuana sales licenses — and dozens of those who have been handed the keys to the state’s new legal pot kingdom are people with cannabis convictions on their books or their families.

The licenses, approved by the Office of Cannabis Management, come about twenty months after the state legalized adult-use cannabis — and as the smoky streets of New York City are awash with unlicensed, gray-market marijuana sellers.

The state agency’s board of directors met in Harlem to formally issue 36 permits, including 28 to contractors and eight to non-profit organizations. To be eligible, licensees had to either have a marijuana conviction or be a family member of someone who had one and have owned a profitable business, state officials said.

Thirteen of the licenses were issued to entrepreneurs with detention records in the city. State officials did not provide details of the lucky recipient’s previous criminal records, all having had their records erased.

Roland Conner, who was among those granted a license to operate his Smacked LLC in Manhattan, told the Post Monday he was excited about the opportunity.

“I’m looking forward to it, don’t worry,” he said.

But Conner, who didn’t elaborate on his file or the circumstances surrounding his arrest, added that he had a “healthy skepticism and caution” about moving forward as one of the early licensees.

“When you’re just at the forefront of something that’s new and all the things that could potentially go wrong, you just don’t want to be the face that people can point to so early in the game,” he said.

Another new licensee, Queens’ Fernando Pena, added: “I’m grateful. It is wonderful. It’s a great thing for New York State.”

The state said it had received more than 900 applications and still plans to issue more than 100 more adult-use licenses to business owners arrested in the state for weed.

A court ruling earlier this month delayed the board in approving dispensaries in some parts of the state, including Brooklyn and parts of upstate New York, amid a litigation over licensing criteria.

Still, officials said they would issue the remaining licenses as soon as possible.

Some of the pharmacies are expected to open by the end of the year.

“This is a monumental moment and represents the final leg of the cannabis supply chain that requires licensing,” said Tremaine Wright, Chair of OCM.

“Not long ago, the idea of ​​legalizing cannabis in New York seemed incredible. Now, not only are we legal, not only have we legalized, but we are building a legal market for adult use with a equity-centric approach.”

The state agency’s board of directors met at 10 a.m. in Harlem to officially issue the 29 permits to ex-convicts with business experience and eight non-profit organizations. To be eligible, licensees had to either have a marijuana conviction or be a family member of someone who had one and have owned a profitable business, state officials said.

Thirteen of the licenses were issued to contractors with arrest records in the city, with all counties represented except Brooklyn, where a federal court injunction had temporarily prevented the state from issuing licenses after a lawsuit against the trial. officials said.

State officials did not disclose the lucky recipient’s criminal record; They all had their records erased.

The injunction also applied to the northern suburbs and other parts of upstate New York. Seven licenses were issued on Long Island.

The state said it had received more than 900 applications and still plans to issue more than 100 more adult-use licenses to business owners arrested in the state for weed.

The “long-awaited” announcements were an important step in enforcing New York’s cannabis ban and tough Rockefeller drug laws, which overwhelmingly targeted men in minority communities, officials said.

“The data are irrefutable. Nowhere in this country has cannabis enforcement been used more systematically against underserved communities than here in New York,” said OCM Executive Director Christopher Alexander.

“Between 1980 and 2020 there were over 1.2 million arrests for marijuana in upstate New York, with approximately one million of those arrests occurring in the five counties.

“Of the more than 400,000 nationwide marijuana convictions during the same period, 54% of those convicted were Black, 23% Hispanic, and 21% White.”

Despite the solemn tone of the meeting, some applicants went to the microphone to explain why they felt the process was unfair when the floor opened to public comment.

Prospective online applicant Ronald Shuler said he felt “unrepresented” throughout the process and was afraid to submit his information for fear of “losing” the $2,000 fee.

“I found it totally overwhelming, and I felt like some of the criteria and some of the things that you needed… it was like beyond me understanding where I’m from. You know what I mean?” Shuler told the board.

“I felt like it was like a process designed to shut me out.”

The five-member OCM Board of Directors also unanimously approved 16 new cannabis growers and 8 processors and passed a number of other resolutions, approving regulations that formed the basis for the supply of cannabis and prohibiting vendors from advertising to New Yorkers under the age of 21.

By the time the licenses were issued, numerous companies had begun selling weed across New York without formal authorization and also without penalty, according to law enforcement officials, who said the current law doesn’t allow them to take action against unlicensed sellers who do sell a legal product.

“The statute, as currently written, provides no enforcement mechanism when an unlicensed facility is displaying cannabis for sale,” an NYPD spokesman said in a statement to The Post when asked about the department’s efforts against violators to proceed.

“The law only provides an enforcement mechanism if an actual sale is observed, and even then penalties are limited due to issues with the written law.

“In addition, state law does not provide the NYPD with a mechanism to close unlicensed facilities.”

Still, regulators said its share-based licensing model is the most advanced in the country.

Officials also touted New York’s two-tier system, which they said will confine industry to the state while preventing well-heeled companies from setting up mini-monopolies.

“This is a momentous day, it’s a very exciting thing to be a part of and you know it shouldn’t go unnoticed – this is truly a first of its kind. And you know, we’re really a leader here with equity,” said board member Jen Metzger.

The full list of adult cannabis licenses issued to individuals and organizations is below, according to the Office of Cannabis Management:

• Nube NYC LLC – Owned by Hector Guerrero, Naiomy Guerrero, Hector Guerrero and Jarron Parnell in the Bronx.
• Carl M Anderson III – Owned by Carl Anderson in the Bronx.
• Royal Leaf New York – Owned by Angell Turuseta and Emely Chavez in the Bronx.
• Gabby’s Green LLC– Owned by Keith Dalessio in Queens.
• CGG Enterprises Inc.– Owned by Carson Grant in Queens.
• Suzanne M. Furboter – Owned by Suzanne Furboter and Fernando Pena in Queens.
• Anthony Crapanzano – Owned by Anthony Crapanzano and Candace Lee in Queens.
• Smacked LLC- Owned by Roland Conner in Manhattan.
• Gabriel Marin – Owned by Gabriel Marin in Manhattan.
• Planet 51 LLC – Owned by Nicholas Koury in Manhattan.
• Florisun LLC – Owned by Keshawn Warner, Richard Rainone and Christopher Vianelle in Manhattan.
• Eastern stocks 88 LLC – Owned by Yan Jin Chen and Zu Rong Chen on Staten Island.
• SAMJNY Holdings LLC – Owned by Mohamed Elgaly and Shlomo Weinstock on Staten Island.
• Stage One Cannabis LLC – Owned by Nathaniel Innes, Galina German-Innes, Sugey Mirsky and Joshua Mirsky in the Capital Region.
• D-Andrews LLC- Owned by Donald Andrew in the Capital Region.
• Essential flowers– Owned by Matthew Robinson in the Capital Region.
• Capital District Cannabis & Wellness Inc. – Owned by James Frese and Pasha Adams in the Capital Region.
• William Durham- Owned by William Durham in the Southern Tier.
• Union Chill Cannabis NY LLC – Owned by Joshua Canfield and Union Chill Cannabis Company LLC in the Southern Tier.
• Cured NY, LLC– Owned by Francis Russo in the Mohawk Valley region.
• Brian Stark Enterprises LLC– Owned by Brian Stark on Long Island.
• Albert D Capraro– Owned by Albert Capraro on Long Island.
• Strain Stars LLC – Owned by Kamaldeep Singh, Tushar Mallick, Jasmin Kaur, Kamaldeep Singh, Darminder Sing and Gurmeet Sing on Long Island.
• Root 13, LLC- Owned by Harpreet Singh and Manjit Singh on Long Island.
• Growth Industries NY, LLC- Owned by Daniel Connolly and GI New York, LLC on Long Island.
• Keep it 100 LLC- Owned by Marquis Hayes, Christina Johnson, James Kahn and Kim Stetz on Long Island.
• hydrophonics – Owned by John Alvarez and Bryan Whalen on Long Island.
• Brent L Rogers owned by Brent Rogers in the North Country.

Non-Profit CAURD Profiles

• Housing Works Cannabis, LLC – HOUSING WORKS
• The Doe Store LLC – Doe Fund
• Urban Weeds LLC – Urban Upbound
• CWS Holdings I, LLC – Challenge Industries
• NYCCABUDS – Center for Community Alternatives
• Kush & Kemet LLC – LIVE STOCK
• On Point Cannabis, INC. – Urban League of Broome County
• GOTHAM CAURD-STRIVE, INC.