New York's Cannabis Control Board pushed forward a measure that would relax distance requirements between dispensaries, and approved 123 more marijuana business licenses at a Tuesday meeting.
Current rules prohibit retail licensees from opening a store within 1,000 feet of each other (or 2,000 feet, in sparsely populated areas). On Tuesday, CCB members unanimously approved a measure that lets licensees apply for a waiver to open a store within that proximity.
Since regulators first proposed proximity rules, retailers and some municipal officials have complained the rules are too broad and stringent. The waiver system would allow for more latitude on a case-by-case basis, according to the Office of Cannabis Management.
"The waiver process is intended to be limited, and used in specific circumstances that could justify allowing a dispensary to be more closely located than the distance outlined in regulations," OCM Director of Policy John Kagia said.
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