A New York state judge on Friday granted a preliminary injunction against the state’s conditional adult use retail dispensary (CAURD) licensing program, finding that cannabis regulators exceeded their legal authority by creating a new licensing class that excluded specific minorities who were prioritized in the 2021 state law that legalized recreational marijuana.
The order, issued by Judge Kevin Bryant of the Albany Supreme Court, prevents the New York Office of Cannabis Management and the Cannabis Control Board from further processing or awarding more marijuana retail permits. But it does carve out exceptions for many of the license winners who have already passed basic inspections and are ready to open.
The order came at the request of four service-disabled veterans who filed suit against the state in early August, claiming they were wrongly shut out of the retail licensing that has been going on since last year. The injunction follows an initial temporary restraining order Bryant issued on Aug. 7, effectively extending the licensing pause indefinitely.