Seeds in the ground: cannabis licenses for NY farmers

Seeds in the ground. The first cannabis products sold on dispensary shelves will come from New York's family farmers.

ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) -- The first cannabis products sold on dispensary shelves will come from New York's family farmers. Thursday, the Cannabis Control Board approved the first 52 cannabis cultivation licenses. They say the growing season waits for no one and they’re helping farmers take full advantage of the good weather. 

The board received over 150 applications, many of them qualify as social equity candidates. Senator Jeremy Cooney, who supports these licenses says for years people have been buying pot illegally, not knowing exactly what's in it. 

"So we want there to be the sale of legal marijuana in New York State that is grown in a way that we can track it from seed to sale. And that process starts by having a conditional use grow permit which we got out today," Cooney said.

The 52 applicants still need to file a security plan within the next 30 days so growing will most likely not begin for at least a month. All applications must be submitted by June 30, 2022. If all goes well, dispensaries could be selling marijuana by the end of the year.