New York to Give First Retail Pot Licenses to Cannabis Offenders

New York is seeking to award its first retail licenses to sell recreational cannabis to applicants who have been convicted of a marijuana-related offense or whose relatives have been found guilty of a crime connected to pot, the state said Wednesday.

The state Office of Cannabis Management plans to reserve 100 to 200 licenses for people with ties to convictions for a cannabis-related offense prior to the drug’s legalization, according to the proposed regulations released Wednesday by the Office of Cannabis Management. The state hasn’t yet established how many licenses will be given in total, said Freeman Klopott, a spokesman for the government agency.

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