NEW YORK (1010 WINS) -- New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday that the Cannabis Control Board has approved the first wave of licenses for cannabis cultivation.
The first licenses were given to 52 farms that were already growing hemp and now will be able to legally grow marijuana for consumption.
"New York's farms have been the backbone of our state's economy since before the American Revolution, and now, New York's farms will be at the center of the most equitable cannabis industry in the nation," Hochul said.
The farms were selected from a pool of more than 150 applicants who sought licensure from the Office of Cannabis Management. The application portal opened March 15, and further licenses will be granted on a rolling basis.
The license approval was fast tracked so farmers would be able to harvest the marijuana in time for the opening of dispensaries, which are slated to open by the end of the year.
New York plans to give the first dispensary licenses to ex-convicts with cannabis-related offenses in an attempt at providing reparations to some of victims of the war on drugs.
A full list of newly-licensed farms can be viewed here.
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