NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – Three cannabis dispensaries are opening across New York City this week – one in Queens and two in Manhattan – bringing the citywide total of dispensaries to 11.
Terp Bros. in Astoria, Gotham Buds in Harlem and ConBud on the Lower East Side became the 25th, 26th and 27th conditional adult-use retail dispensaries (CAURDs) in New York State, respectively.
Coss Marte, owner of ConBud, was one of many CAURD license holders who was affected by an August injunction against New York’s CAURD program.
When interviewed by the Gothamist last month, Marte had put down a $420,000 deposit on a 10-year lease at ConBud’s 85 Delancey Street location, and was on the hook for a monthly rent of $38,000 (which began Oct. 1). At the time, Marte said he was “in a nightmare.”
But the nightmare ended on Oct. 6 when Supreme Court Judge Kevin Bryant signed off on exemption orders for ConBud, Terp Bros., Gotham Buds and two other New York state dispensaries, per the Cannabis Business Times.
Under the exemption order, ConBud is able to open Thursday with sales set to begin at 5 p.m.
Owner of Terp Bros., Jeremy Rivera, has been convicted of drug-related charges three different times and told the Queens Daily Eagle that he jumped at the opportunity to pursue the CAURD program, which is directed toward previously convicted people.
“When I heard of the program, I fell in love with it and just like the type of person I am, I went headfirst and I gave everything into it and it paid off,” Rivera told the Daily Eagle.
With the exemption order in affect, Terp. Bros, at 3610 Ditmars Blvd, opened Oct. 17 and is the first CAURD in Astoria.
Omar Tejada, Gregory Gray and Jeffrey Lopez are the owners of Gotham Buds, which opened Tuesday at 248 West 125th St. with help from the exemption order.
“Harlem isn’t just our location – it’s our community, our commitment. We’re here to grow roots and become a pillar of dreams realized,” Lopez told The Daily News.
The Cannabis Control Board recently voted to extend the adult-use cannabis license application window by two weeks, shifting the deadline from Dec. 4 to Dec. 18, according to the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).
Chris Alexander, Executive Director of the New York State OCM, says that the extension was granted to reflect the organization’s “commitment to equitable participation” in the industry.
“We’ve witnessed a tremendous level of interest from a diverse array of applicants across the state, prompting these extensions,” Alexander stated.
Tremaine Wright, Chair of the Cannabis Control Board, added in relation to the decision that the Board “[Wants] to thank New Yorkers for putting their trust in this effort to build a fair and successful cannabis market.”
Due to the uncertainty surrounding the continuing litigation regarding the CAURD program, provisional CAURD licensees were notified of their ability to apply for an adult-use retail dispensary license during the same application window, according to the New York OCM.