A New York judge on Friday ruled that the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) cannot process or approve any pending Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses pending the outcome of a hearing this week, Spectrum News reports. The injunction was first imposed on August 7 and applies to all licenses new or pending on that date.
The lawsuit, filed by service-disabled military veterans, argues that OCM created a licensing system that runs afoul of the state’s adult-use cannabis law and improperly limits initial licenses to people with cannabis convictions rather than a wider category of social equity applicants. The lawsuit claims that the cannabis regulators overstepped their authority by creating the licensing category for people with convictions because that decision was not approved by the Legislature and that the decision violates the state constitution.
In a statement, the veterans said the legal fight is about “equal access to this new and growing industry.”
Officials plan on opening a licensing application window for service-disabled veterans in October, Law.com reports. The action would likely end the lawsuit and associated injunction. (Full Story)