Latest news with #TheCannabisPlace
Toronto Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Sun
New York allowed pot shops to open too close to schools. Now they might have to move
Published Aug 14, 2025 • 3 minute read Cannabis products are displayed at Yerba Buena in the Brooklyn borough of New York, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025. Photo by Seth Wenig / AP Photo Since New York began licensing recreational marijuana stores about three years ago, the state has been using a simple tactic to ensure pot shops are kept a legally-mandated distance from local schools: Measure from the door of the dispensary to the door of the school. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But officials recently made a startling admission: They'd misread the law and had been measuring incorrectly the whole time. Now, about 100 cannabis shops are in limbo, crossing their fingers for a legislative fix while wondering whether they'll have to relocate. The news was like dropping 'a grenade in the laps' of business owners, said Osbert Orduna, who owns a New York City dispensary called The Cannabis Place that is now deemed to be too close to a nearby preschool. 'The way that they executed this was a complete and utter failure in leadership,' he said. The admission is just the latest bungle from New York's beleaguered legal marijuana program, which has been hamstrung by legal challenges, a slow rollout and gaps in the law that allowed an illicit market to flourish. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Business owners found out about the issue from the Office of Cannabis Management last month, which admitted it should have been measuring from the edge of a school's property line, rather than its entrance, to ensure weed stores were kept at least 500 feet (152 meters) away. 'To give you this news, and for the weight of it, I am incredibly sorry,' said Felicia A.B. Reid, acting executive director of the cannabis agency, said in notices to the businesses. The error impacts a sizable share of the state's roughly 450 cannabis dispensaries. About 60 of those were licensed using the erroneous measurement system, mostly in New York City, plus around another 40 that have licenses but are yet to open their doors. On top of that, there are almost 50 other businesses that have applied for licenses under the incorrect measurement system and are awaiting final approval from the agency. The state has set aside a pot of money where applicants can get up to $250,000 to help relocate. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The existing shops have been told they can remain open for now, and even continue to operate with their expired licenses as long as the businesses file an application for a renewal. Regulators say they are urging state lawmakers to create a permanent fix that will allow the shops to stay put. But they have also noted that is not guaranteed. The state Legislature isn't scheduled to sit again until January. Meanwhile, business owners say they're being forced to operate in a gray area. Jillian Dragutsky, who opened a dispensary called Yerba Buena in Brooklyn a few months ago, worries the issue still jeopardizes a dispensary's ability to bank, get insurance and purchase inventory since they are supposed to have valid licenses in place. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'How do you grow your business not knowing where you're going to be a few months from now?' Dragutsky said. In a statement, the cannabis office said businesses can obtain 'proof of a valid license or a letter of good standing to operate' by contacting the agency. An internal review of the cannabis office released last year detailed numerous problems at the agency, including inexperienced management and shifting licensure rules, while state leaders promised an administrative overhaul. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has previously said the program has been a 'disaster,' called the school proximity problem 'a major screw up' and vowed to find a legislative fix. 'These people have worked hard. They've waited a long time. They put their life savings into something that they thought was going to help them support their families,' she said. 'So what I'm been doing is first of all reassuring them that you're going to be OK. Secondly, we need to get the law changed to have a fix.' Sunshine Girls Sunshine Girls World Columnists Toronto & GTA
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Dozens of New York marijuana stores could be forced to move over legal error
New York 's three-year-old recreational marijuana licensing system has been thrown into disarray after officials admitted a fundamental error in how they measure the legally mandated distance between cannabis dispensaries and schools. For years, the state had been using a simple door-to-door measurement, but it has now emerged that they misread the law, which requires the 500-foot (152-metre) buffer to be measured from the edge of a school 's property line. This startling admission, made by the Office of Cannabis Management last month, has plunged approximately 100 cannabis shops into uncertainty, leaving them to await a legislative fix or face potential relocation. Osbert Orduña, who owns The Cannabis Place in New York City, now deemed too close to a nearby preschool, described the news as like dropping "a grenade in the laps" of business owners. He added: "The way that they executed this was a complete and utter failure in leadership." The blunder represents the latest setback for New York's struggling legal marijuana programme. The initiative has been consistently hampered by legal challenges, a sluggish rollout, and significant regulatory gaps that have inadvertently allowed an illicit market to flourish across the state. Businesses now face an anxious wait as authorities grapple with the implications of their misinterpretation. 'To give you this news, and for the weight of it, I am incredibly sorry,' said Felicia A.B. Reid, acting executive director of the cannabis agency, said in notices to the businesses. The error impacts a sizable share of the state's roughly 450 cannabis dispensaries. About 60 of those were licensed using the erroneous measurement system, mostly in New York City, plus around another 40 that have licenses but are yet to open their doors. On top of that, there are almost 50 other businesses that have applied for licenses under the incorrect measurement system and are awaiting final approval from the agency. The state has set aside a pot of money where applicants can get up to $250,000 to help relocate. The existing shops have been told they can remain open for now, and even continue to operate with their expired licenses as long as the businesses file an application for a renewal. Regulators say they are urging state lawmakers to create a permanent fix that will allow the shops to stay put. But they have also noted that is not guaranteed. The state Legislature isn't scheduled to sit again until January. Meanwhile, business owners say they're being forced to operate in a gray area. Jillian Dragutsky, who opened a dispensary called Yerba Buena in Brooklyn a few months ago, worries the issue still jeopardises a dispensary's ability to bank, get insurance and purchase inventory since they are supposed to have valid licenses in place. 'How do you grow your business not knowing where you're going to be a few months from now?' Dragutsky said. In a statement, the cannabis office said businesses can obtain 'proof of a valid license or a letter of good standing to operate' by contacting the agency. An internal review of the cannabis office released last year detailed numerous problems at the agency, including inexperienced management and shifting licensure rules, while state leaders promised an administrative overhaul. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has previously said the program has been a 'disaster,' called the school proximity problem 'a major screw up' and vowed to find a legislative fix. 'These people have worked hard. They've waited a long time. They put their life savings into something that they thought was going to help them support their families,' she said. 'So what I'm been doing is first of all reassuring them that you're going to be OK. Secondly, we need to get the law changed to have a fix.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New York allowed pot shops to open too close to schools. Now they might have to move
Since New York began licensing recreational marijuana stores about three years ago, the state has been using a simple tactic to ensure pot shops are kept a legally-mandated distance from local schools: Measure from the door of the dispensary to the door of the school. But officials recently made a startling admission: They'd misread the law and had been measuring incorrectly the whole time. Now, about 100 cannabis shops are in limbo, crossing their fingers for a legislative fix while wondering whether they'll have to relocate. The news was like dropping 'a grenade in the laps' of business owners, said Osbert Orduña, who owns a New York City dispensary called The Cannabis Place that is now deemed to be too close to a nearby preschool. 'The way that they executed this was a complete and utter failure in leadership,' he said. The admission is just the latest bungle from New York's beleaguered legal marijuana program, which has been hamstrung by legal challenges, a slow rollout and gaps in the law that allowed an illicit market to flourish. Business owners found out about the issue from the Office of Cannabis Management last month, which admitted it should have been measuring from the edge of a school's property line, rather than its entrance, to ensure weed stores were kept at least 500 feet (152 meters) away. 'To give you this news, and for the weight of it, I am incredibly sorry,' said Felicia A.B. Reid, acting executive director of the cannabis agency, said in notices to the businesses. The error impacts a sizable share of the state's roughly 450 cannabis dispensaries. About 60 of those were licensed using the erroneous measurement system, mostly in New York City, plus around another 40 that have licenses but are yet to open their doors. On top of that, there are almost 50 other businesses that have applied for licenses under the incorrect measurement system and are awaiting final approval from the agency. The state has set aside a pot of money where applicants can get up to $250,000 to help relocate. The existing shops have been told they can remain open for now, and even continue to operate with their expired licenses as long as the businesses file an application for a renewal. Regulators say they are urging state lawmakers to create a permanent fix that will allow the shops to stay put. But they have also noted that is not guaranteed. The state Legislature isn't scheduled to sit again until January. Meanwhile, business owners say they're being forced to operate in a gray area. Jillian Dragutsky, who opened a dispensary called Yerba Buena in Brooklyn a few months ago, worries the issue still jeopardizes a dispensary's ability to bank, get insurance and purchase inventory since they are supposed to have valid licenses in place. 'How do you grow your business not knowing where you're going to be a few months from now?' Dragutsky said. In a statement, the cannabis office said businesses can obtain 'proof of a valid license or a letter of good standing to operate' by contacting the agency. An internal review of the cannabis office released last year detailed numerous problems at the agency, including inexperienced management and shifting licensure rules, while state leaders promised an administrative overhaul. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has previously said the program has been a 'disaster,' called the school proximity problem 'a major screw up' and vowed to find a legislative fix. 'These people have worked hard. They've waited a long time. They put their life savings into something that they thought was going to help them support their families,' she said. 'So what I'm been doing is first of all reassuring them that you're going to be OK. Secondly, we need to get the law changed to have a fix.' Anthony Izaguirre, The Associated Press Sign in to access your portfolio
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
New York allowed pot shops to open too close to schools. Now they might have to move
Since New York began licensing recreational marijuana stores about three years ago, the state has been using a simple tactic to ensure pot shops are kept a legally-mandated distance from local schools: Measure from the door of the dispensary to the door of the school. But officials recently made a startling admission: They'd misread the law and had been measuring incorrectly the whole time. Now, about 100 cannabis shops are in limbo, crossing their fingers for a legislative fix while wondering whether they'll have to relocate. The news was like dropping 'a grenade in the laps' of business owners, said Osbert Orduña, who owns a New York City dispensary called The Cannabis Place that is now deemed to be too close to a nearby preschool. 'The way that they executed this was a complete and utter failure in leadership,' he said. The admission is just the latest bungle from New York's beleaguered legal marijuana program, which has been hamstrung by legal challenges, a slow rollout and gaps in the law that allowed an illicit market to flourish. Business owners found out about the issue from the Office of Cannabis Management last month, which admitted it should have been measuring from the edge of a school's property line, rather than its entrance, to ensure weed stores were kept at least 500 feet (152 meters) away. 'To give you this news, and for the weight of it, I am incredibly sorry,' said Felicia A.B. Reid, acting executive director of the cannabis agency, said in notices to the businesses. The error impacts a sizable share of the state's roughly 450 cannabis dispensaries. About 60 of those were licensed using the erroneous measurement system, mostly in New York City, plus around another 40 that have licenses but are yet to open their doors. On top of that, there are almost 50 other businesses that have applied for licenses under the incorrect measurement system and are awaiting final approval from the agency. The state has set aside a pot of money where applicants can get up to $250,000 to help relocate. The existing shops have been told they can remain open for now, and even continue to operate with their expired licenses as long as the businesses file an application for a renewal. Regulators say they are urging state lawmakers to create a permanent fix that will allow the shops to stay put. But they have also noted that is not guaranteed. The state Legislature isn't scheduled to sit again until January. Meanwhile, business owners say they're being forced to operate in a gray area. Jillian Dragutsky, who opened a dispensary called Yerba Buena in Brooklyn a few months ago, worries the issue still jeopardizes a dispensary's ability to bank, get insurance and purchase inventory since they are supposed to have valid licenses in place. 'How do you grow your business not knowing where you're going to be a few months from now?' Dragutsky said. In a statement, the cannabis office said businesses can obtain 'proof of a valid license or a letter of good standing to operate' by contacting the agency. An internal review of the cannabis office released last year detailed numerous problems at the agency, including inexperienced management and shifting licensure rules, while state leaders promised an administrative overhaul. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has previously said the program has been a 'disaster,' called the school proximity problem 'a major screw up' and vowed to find a legislative fix. 'These people have worked hard. They've waited a long time. They put their life savings into something that they thought was going to help them support their families,' she said. 'So what I'm been doing is first of all reassuring them that you're going to be OK. Secondly, we need to get the law changed to have a fix.'
Associated Press
4 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
New York allowed pot shops to open too close to schools. Now they might have to move
Since New York began licensing recreational marijuana stores about three years ago, the state has been using a simple tactic to ensure pot shops are kept a legally-mandated distance from local schools: Measure from the door of the dispensary to the door of the school. But officials recently made a startling admission: They'd misread the law and had been measuring incorrectly the whole time. Now, about 100 cannabis shops are in limbo, crossing their fingers for a legislative fix while wondering whether they'll have to relocate. The news was like dropping 'a grenade in the laps' of business owners, said Osbert Orduña, who owns a New York City dispensary called The Cannabis Place that is now deemed to be too close to a nearby preschool. 'The way that they executed this was a complete and utter failure in leadership,' he said. The admission is just the latest bungle from New York's beleaguered legal marijuana program, which has been hamstrung by legal challenges, a slow rollout and gaps in the law that allowed an illicit market to flourish. Business owners found out about the issue from the Office of Cannabis Management last month, which admitted it should have been measuring from the edge of a school's property line, rather than its entrance, to ensure weed stores were kept at least 500 feet (152 meters) away. 'To give you this news, and for the weight of it, I am incredibly sorry,' said Felicia A.B. Reid, acting executive director of the cannabis agency, said in notices to the businesses. The error impacts a sizable share of the state's roughly 450 cannabis dispensaries. About 60 of those were licensed using the erroneous measurement system, mostly in New York City, plus around another 40 that have licenses but are yet to open their doors. On top of that, there are almost 50 other businesses that have applied for licenses under the incorrect measurement system and are awaiting final approval from the agency. The state has set aside a pot of money where applicants can get up to $250,000 to help relocate. The existing shops have been told they can remain open for now, and even continue to operate with their expired licenses as long as the businesses file an application for a renewal. Regulators say they are urging state lawmakers to create a permanent fix that will allow the shops to stay put. But they have also noted that is not guaranteed. The state Legislature isn't scheduled to sit again until January. Meanwhile, business owners say they're being forced to operate in a gray area. Jillian Dragutsky, who opened a dispensary called Yerba Buena in Brooklyn a few months ago, worries the issue still jeopardizes a dispensary's ability to bank, get insurance and purchase inventory since they are supposed to have valid licenses in place. 'How do you grow your business not knowing where you're going to be a few months from now?' Dragutsky said. In a statement, the cannabis office said businesses can obtain 'proof of a valid license or a letter of good standing to operate' by contacting the agency. An internal review of the cannabis office released last year detailed numerous problems at the agency, including inexperienced management and shifting licensure rules, while state leaders promised an administrative overhaul. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who has previously said the program has been a 'disaster,' called the school proximity problem 'a major screw up' and vowed to find a legislative fix. 'These people have worked hard. They've waited a long time. They put their life savings into something that they thought was going to help them support their families,' she said. 'So what I'm been doing is first of all reassuring them that you're going to be OK. Secondly, we need to get the law changed to have a fix.'
