Rochester, N.Y. – Some cannabis retailers will have to wait longer before they can open up shop in the Rochester region.
“Yesterday, we were hoping to hear about the settlement in both of the lawsuits that are out against the CAURD community right now and it was pulled from the agenda right in the beginning,” said Ryan Martin, the co-owner of MJ Dispensary in Henrietta. “We’re not exactly sure why.”
The NYS Cannabis Control Board (CCB) delayed a settlement vote on cases impacting adult-use licenses at its monthly meeting on Friday.
MORE | New York cannabis board delays vote on adult-use licenses
Martin earned a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license in June. He and his wife, Maila Lowery, expected to open their dispensary on Jefferson Road in September.
Instead, his store is filled with empty shelves and display cases and it’s taken a financial toll on his family.
“Here we are almost two years deep and we can’t open our business,” said Martin. “It’s so frustrating. You’re just shelling out money each month and nothing’s coming in to actually help you pay your bills.”
He said he passed an inspection by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) last month.
“We are the only ones in the