New York Explains Cannabis Delivery Laws
New York Releases Cannabis Delivery Regulations
New York marijuana regulators have released guidance for adult-use retailers that are interested in providing cannabis delivery services, setting the stage for the first sales even before licensees have storefronts—and allowing for deliveries via bikes and scooters as well as motor vehicles.
The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) published the new guidance weeks after announcing the approval of the first Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licensees, indicating that the first recreational sales are imminent.
In a tweet by the OCM, they stated
“BREAKING: DELIVERY GUIDANCE CAURD Licensees can prepare to:
Deliver to consumers 21+ via, scooter, bike, etc.
Secure a warehouse to fulfill deliveries
Hire up to 25 delivery staff Customers can:
Place online/phone orders & make online pre-payments”
There is little information about how this will be regulated, but it is exciting news for cannabis license awardees.
Under the delivery rules, adults 21 and older could place prepaid orders by phone or online. People could not make in-person purchases at the warehouses. A business providing the service is limited to having 25 delivery staff.
Currently, regulators are focusing on getting licensees going with delivery options.
“CAURD Licensees will be able to receive approval from the Office of Cannabis Management to begin delivery to customers, jumpstarting sales of New York cannabis products with a model that will help them compete while providing options to licensee-entrepreneurs as they build new adult-use cannabis businesses,” OCM said.
Last month, the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) selected the first 36 dispensary licenses along with a package of rules for the industry. This is a major development that came just days after officials chose 10 teams of firms to build out about 150 turn-key storefront facilities for the social equity marijuana retailers to operate out of once the market officially launches.
Most of the newly licensed businesses will be run by justice-involved people who’ve been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. Others will be operated by nonprofit organizations that have a history of helping people reenter society after having been incarcerated.
The new guidance also says that while the delivery warehouses and eventual dispensaries can only be located in municipalities that did not take the opportunity to opt-out of allowing marijuana businesses by last year’s deadline, deliveries can still be sent into those areas of the state.
A 60-day public comment period is currently underway for the regulations before they can officially go into effect.
New Jersey Cannabis Delivery
New Jersey has yet to release any information about Cannabis Delivery. With the rise of delivery services like uber eats, drizly, and amazon, it is obvious that cannabis delivery should also see the kind of success that other deliveries have. Here at Scarlet Reserve, we hope to see New Jersey follow in New Yorks footsteps.