Marijuana Business Magazine - March 2018

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is urging state lawmakers to provide funding to establish a commission to study the feasibility of legalizing adult-use marijuana in the state. The study would explore recreational legalization’s health effects, economic impact, criminal justice impact and how recreational legalization by some of New York’s neighbors would affect the state. The announcement comes as three of New York’s neighbors move closer to having recreational marijuana markets: Maine, Massa- chusetts and Vermont. North Dakota The state established eight regions for medical canna- bis dispensaries in an effort to ensure qualifying patients have easy access to MMJ. The regions center on the state’s largest cities – Fargo, Bismarck, Grand Forks, Minot, Devils Lake, Jamestown, Williston and Dickinson. However, the dispensaries that eventually are licensed can be located anywhere within a 50-mile radius of those cities. It will be a few months before the state begins accepting formal applications from groups and businesses that want to open dispensaries. The program likely won’t be up and running until late 2018 or early 2019. 26 • Marijuana Business Magazine • March 2018