A woman walks by a smoke shop in New York City that displays a marijuana leaf in the window, June 16, 2023.
Coss Marte's marijuana dispensary in lower Manhattan has already cost him over $1 million, and it's not even open yet.
On Tuesday, the state's Cannabis Control Board voted for new regulations that would expand New York's meager marketplace for legal weed by allowing a wider range of applicants.
New York has prioritized retail licenses for people who had been convicted of marijuana offenses before weed became legal in 2021.
But lawsuits by medical marijuana and veterans groups have paused the program and barred New York regulators from issuing more licenses or opening businesses for existing licenses.
Persons:
it's, Marte, we've, Chris Alexander, they've
Organizations:
Cannabis Control, Cannabis Management
Locations:
New York City, Manhattan, ., York, New York