London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 23, 2025

In New York, Former Drug Offenders Get First Marijuana Licenses

In New York, Former Drug Offenders Get First Marijuana Licenses

New York state is offering its first 150 licenses for the legal sale of cannabis to people -- and their relatives -- who have been convicted of offenses related to the drug, including selling.
Naiomy Guerrero's brother was stopped by police often and was once convicted on drug charges when marijuana was illegal in New York. Now, she is setting up a legal cannabis business, a promising new market fraught with pitfalls.

New York state is offering its first 150 licenses for the legal sale of cannabis to people -- and their relatives -- who have been convicted of offenses related to the drug, including selling.

The policy, implemented by the state's Democratic leaders, seeks to compensate African-American and Hispanic communities whose members were disproportionately arrested and convicted during the decades weed was illegal.

"It's such an exciting moment for my family," said 31-year-old Guerrero, a PhD art history student whose parents are from the Dominican Republic.

"Especially given where we come from and everything we have been through, with the discriminatory policies that the city has had, like stop and frisk," she told AFP.

Last month, Guerrero was one of the first 28 successful applicants who received their license to open an official store and sell locally-grown cannabis.

The licenses come more than a year after New York state, home to 20 million people, legalized cannabis use.

In New York city, the smell of weed is now about as ubiquitous as yellow taxis and shiny skyscrapers.

The city government expects the legal cannabis industry to generate $1.3 billion in sales as early as next year and between 19,000 and 24,000 jobs in three years. That represents much-needed tax revenues.

Racial disparities

Jeremy Rivera, is another New Yorker looking to profit. He was convicted of a "non-violent drug offense including cannabis" in 2016. He was released from prison in 2018 and has vowed never to go back.

The 36-year-old wants to put his knowledge of cannabis and business acumen to use by opening a weed shop east of the city on Long Island.

The heavily tattooed Rivera, who grew up surrounded by crime in the borough of Queens, hopes to be among the next group of licensees.

"I want to become that beacon of light that shows people, 'Hey listen, I've done it. I was a 20-year gang member, I was a year-long-round drug dealer. I made the decision to leave that lifestyle,'" he told AFP.

As well as the cannabis conviction, applicants must also own a profitable business to be eligible for one of the first 150 licenses, which will precede a full opening of the market.

In 2018, a state report estimated that there had been 800,000 arrests for marijuana possession in the previous 20 years.

In 2017, most of those arrested were Black (48 percent), while Hispanics made up 38 percent of arrests.

"Prohibition denied people opportunities, it caused divestment in communities, it broke up families," said Tremaine Wright, chairwoman of the control board for New York's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).

Guerrero says that in the 2000s, the New York Police Department's infamous stop-and-frisk policy, which disproportionately targeted people of color, meant "we couldn't be outside without getting picked up by the police.

"It was just living in a constant, constant state of surveillance and harassment," she recalled.

While the cannabis program is ambitious, experts say implementation will have its challenges.

"We're still at the very beginning of our journey of social equity. We need education, we need funding," said Desmon Lewis, co-founder of The Bronx Community Foundation, which is assisting applicants.

Illegal sales

Last week, local media outlet NY Cannabis Insider reported that the team tasked with raising $150 million from private investors for the state's $200 million fund to support retailers had missed a key deadline set by the state.

That raises concerns that candidates may not receive the ready-made stores they had been promised.

"For some people, it is very confusing. They are relying on this location and these funds. Now it's like the sand is shifting below their feet", said Eli Northrup of the Bronx Defenders non-profit.

Also causing concern is strong competition from unlicensed sellers, who have been emboldened by decriminalization.

They have taken advantage of the lack of controls since legalization, selling on the street, in parks, as well as in smoke shops which are already selling THC edibles, pre-rolls and flower.

But Rivera sees only opportunities.

"You're also going to have people who never felt comfortable purchasing from the illicit market that are now going to want to purchase from a reputable licensed provider," he said.

"This is the beginning of the next 100 years of cannabis sales," he added, taking a puff on a long joint.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
BBC Demands Perplexity AI Immediately Stop Using Its Content
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
Political Turmoil Resurfaces in Belgium Amid Economic Concerns
Fed policymakers divided on timing of interest rate cuts
Trump signals imminent agreement with Harvard University
Inheritance tax referendum alarms Swiss billionaire community
Japan cancels bilateral security meeting amid US defence demands
AI skeptic Emily Bender warns that ‘the emperor has no clothes’
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
Plans to Sell Dutch Embassy in Bangkok Face Local Opposition
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump's $5 Million 'Trump Card' Visa Program Draws Nearly 70,000 Applicants
DGCA Finds No Major Safety Concerns in Air India's Boeing 787 Fleet
Airlines Reroute Flights Amid Expanding Middle East Conflict Zones
Elon Musk's xAI Seeks $9.3 Billion in Funding Amid AI Expansion
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Taiwan Imposes Export Ban on Chips to Huawei and SMIC
Israel has just announced plans to strike Tehran again, and in response, Trump has urged people to evacuate
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Juncker Criticizes EU Inaction on Trump Tariffs
EU Proposes Ban on New Russian Gas Contracts
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
UK Home Secretary Apologizes Over Child Grooming Failures
×