VICTOR, N.Y. — When Britni and Jayson Tantalo applied for a cannabis dispensary license in 2022, they believed their past convictions and business experience made them ideal candidates. Instead, they found themselves caught in a web of regulatory delays and legal challenges that have plagued New York’s fledgling marijuana industry.
The Tantalos’ story highlights the hurdles faced by many aspiring cannabis entrepreneurs in the Empire State. New York’s Conditional Adult-use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program, designed to prioritize social equity applicants, has been mired in controversy and litigation since its inception.
“We’ve been holding a lease since November, paying rent,” Britni Tantalo told WXXI News. “When I say we were in the 11th hour of being able to keep that space, I mean that.”
State officials envisioned CAURD as a pathway for those affected by cannabis criminalization to enter the legal market. However, lawsuits and regulatory missteps have significantly slowed the program’s rollout.
A May audit by the New York State Office of General Services criticized the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) for its handling of the situation. “OCM’s lack of transparency, inconsistent dissemination of regulatory information, and inadequate customer service, as well as its policy choices, have created exceptionally challenging circumstances for many applicants eager to launch their businesses,” the audit stated.
The slow pace of legal dispensary openings has allowed the illicit market to flourish. New York City officials estimate over 2,000 unlicensed dispensaries operate in the city, dwarfing the 146 legal shops statewide.
Despite these challenges, some officials remain optimistic. State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, chair of the Senate’s cannabis subcommittee, believes the legal market is poised for growth. “We’ve learned from that, we’re acting faster, we’re acting swifter, and we’re closing down these illicit stores,” Cooney said. “But that’s not enough. You can’t just close down illicit stores without opening legal ones.”
For the Tantalos, their perseverance may finally pay off. Their Flower City Dispensary is slated to open on September 26, 2024 — exactly two years after their initial application.