Just 23 retailers have opened storefronts or delivery services since the first licensed shop opened in December, and only about 18,000 pounds of cannabis have been sold so far, according to the Office of Cannabis Management. At the current sales rate, 564,000 pounds of legally grown cannabis will remain unsold by the end of the year, agency officials said. Some licensees and lawyers have laid some of the blame on Attorney General Letitia James, whose office is responsible for defending the cannabis program against lawsuits. At the hearing last week, her lawyer struggled to answer basic questions about the program from Justice Bryant, such as distancing requirements between dispensaries. Then, an investor agreed in June to put up $150 million to revive the state’s dispensary plan under terms that have not been disclosed.

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Persons: Beau Allulli Jr, ”, Letitia James, Justice Bryant, Kathy Hochul’s Organizations: Cannabis Management, Justice Locations: Lower Manhattan