ROCHESTER, N.Y. — It’s been almost three years since cannabis was legalized in New York State. But for many, the rollout has been too slow. So when the state’s Cannabis Control Board had their monthly meeting, just a week ahead of the three-year anniversary of legalization, there were many people watching. 

One of them was News10NBC. 

The office approved 114 adult-use license applications at their Friday meeting. This doubled the number of licenses out across the state, meaning that the staff were able to do in one day what took three years of building and planning and preparing. 

Before Friday’s meeting, there were 88 licensed dispensaries open in New York, and only two of those were in the Rochester area. Keep in mind: at one point Governor Kathy Hochul said she expected between 20 and 50 stores to open each month. 

So while the state is behind schedule, they helped move things along by licensing 45 dispensaries and 31 microbusinesses Friday. Microbusinesses grow, process, and sell their own product on a small (or “micro”) scale. 

In our area, Organic Jade Growers in Livonia and Finger Lakes Hydro in Pittsford got microbusiness licenses. Over in the city, Misfits Dispensary and Roc Sole Sanctuary got retail licenses. Green Hut in Spencerport also got a dispensary license. 

When most people think of the cannabis industry, they think of that retail side. But everything sold in New York has to be grown and processed here, too. So the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) also gave out cultivator, processor, and distributor licenses. Locally, Glenna’s CBD in Rochester and Great Lakes Canopy in Genesee County received distributor licenses.

The OCM also elected to waive cultivator fees for the next two years, saving applicant tens of thousands of dollars depending on the size of their potential operation.

“I am so encouraged and excited by you all joining this effort [of legalization],” Executive Director Chris Alexander said at the end of the meeting. “We see what is rolling out. And you know, sometimes it’s hard to see it, but you’ll see it in a couple months. But I’m so optimistic about New York cannabis. We are doing something differently, and we are doing something that’s never been done, so its hard.”

Governor Hochul and many other critics are less optimistic. Last week, the Governor called for an audit of the OCM, partially due to the slow rollout process. That’s expected to finish up next month. 

Take a look at the entire process it takes to get cannabis to the point or sale in our previous story: “From seed to sale: An inside look at legal cannabis.”