Cannabis farmers will soon have their products in New York’s first legal marijuana retail shops.
“We’re looking to open stores and sales by the end of the year,” said Chris Alexander, director of the state Office of Cannabis Management, on a recent trip to Schoharie County.
State regulators visited a growing operation a few miles outside Sharon Springs last Friday, July 15, reports The Citizen. Officials asked the specific location not be disclosed due to security concerns.
The crop will be harvested in roughly two months, then sent to a processing facility.
The state Dormitory Agency will help jumpstart the industry with a $200 million infusion of public money. The agency is also collecting proposals for New York’s Social Equity Cannabis Investment Program.
The program is designed to “facilitate business opportunities for individuals impacted by the disproportionate enforcement of the cannabis prohibition,” said the Dormitory Authority.
The OCM’s application period for dispensary licenses is expected to open by the end of summer.
Related: Cannabis-growing facility testing plants for upcoming sale in Finger Lakes (video)
