Guide: When can consumers buy pot on Long Island?

The state Cannabis Control Board issued licenses this week for the last leg of the recreational marijuana supply chain: retail dispensaries.

Three dozen organizations received the first of roughly 150 "conditional" retail dispensary licenses the state plans to issue over the coming months. They may soon offer anyone 21 or older products from farmers, who have the authority to grow cannabis, and processors, who can transform the plant into joints, vape cartridges and brownies.

The initial licenses were reserved for New Yorkers directly impacted by the criminalization of marijuana or with experience handlng hemp, which comes from the same plant species as marijuana, but contains less of the compound that produces a high.

The state is preparing to open licenses up to a broader range of entrepreneurs. 

While some Long Islanders have questions about how soon they can buy cannabis, others are concerned about where the retail locations will be. Here's what we know:

Seven businesses received licenses Monday to sell marijuana on Long Island, which may allow them to start making home deliveries in a couple of weeks, according to Chris Alexander, executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management, which writes regulations for the cannabis industry.

He said the licensees will need to get through paperwork before they can start making the rounds. 

The retailers will not be able to make sales through third-party platforms like Uber and will need to verify that consumers are at least 21, the Office of Cannabis Management said.

At least one pot store will open somewhere in the state by the end of 2022, Alexander said. But the state hasn't shared information on where the first retail stores may be located.

The state's construction financing team, the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York, will help the first licensees secure and set up dispensaries. Initially, the state is prioritizing dispensary applications from business owners who have been convicted — or are related to someone who has been convicted — of offenses under the old marijuana laws.

It's unclear. The Dormitory Authority has declined to share how many retail storefronts it has located or how much money has been raised for a social equity fund launched to support the endeavor.

The state plans to open licenses up to the broader business community later, but not for months.

Not for a while. The state proposed rules Monday for additional retail dispensary, distributor and microbusiness licenses; the public has 60 days to comment on the plan.

The first farming and processing credentials went to those who have worked with hemp. The state's proposal envisions more New Yorkers having access to cultivator and processor credentials as well.

The state later also intends to create licenses for consumption lounges and delivery businesses.

Four towns — Riverhead, Babylon, Brookhaven and Southampton — have opted in to allow retail cannabis sales and consumption.

Riverhead, Babylon and Brookhaven have adopted legislation that would restrict where dispensaries could operate in the towns. The legislation would put these establishments in more commercial areas and away from downtown locations. Southampton Town has not yet approved any regulations.