Did Interstate Commerce Just Come to Cannabis in New York? Federal Judge Halts NY CAURD Dispensary License Program

On November 11, 2022, a federal judge in New York issued an injunction enjoining the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (the OCM) from issuing any Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses “for the following geographic areas: Finger Lakes; Central New York; Western New York; Mid-Hudson; and Brooklyn during the pendency of this action or until otherwise ordered by the court.” These licenses are commonly referred to in the cannabis industry as social equity licenses.