Disabled Veterans Successfully Halt New Cannabis Licenses in NY, Citing Discrimination

A judge in New York has issued an order blocking the state from awarding any more cannabis licenses while a lawsuit alleging discrimination against disabled veterans is being decided. The lawsuit claims that state regulators favored convicted drug felons over disabled veterans in the allocation of licenses to sell legal marijuana. The judge's decision comes after New York's first licenses were awarded to individuals with marijuana convictions, with disabled veterans only being eligible if they partnered with someone with a conviction. The lawsuit argues that this violates the state's Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which prioritizes disabled veterans as one of the "social and economic equity" groups in the cannabis industry. A hearing on the case is scheduled for Friday.