Con Bud is Set to Open in the Old MOSCOT Location

When you walk around the Lower East Side these days it’s hard not to notice the fact that there have been probably close to 35 new stores that popped up selling cannabis and supplies. Con Bud is set to be the newest entrant in the game, albeit with a legal license to sell. Their soon-to-open outpost at the corner of Delancey and Orchard Streets has a sign that says “1st Dispensary Run By Former Incarcerated Professionals,” so apparently they are part of the states’ new program to give licenses to sell cannabis to former incarcerated individuals as a form of payback. We tried reaching out for an interview but got no reply.

In some regions and countries, individuals with criminal records, including those with prior convictions related to marijuana, may face challenges when trying to enter the legal cannabis industry. Laws and regulations regarding cannabis businesses vary widely, and some places have restrictions on individuals with certain criminal backgrounds participating in the industry.

It’s important to note that attitudes and regulations related to marijuana are evolving, and some jurisdictions are actively working to create more inclusive policies that provide opportunities for individuals with prior convictions to participate in the legal cannabis market. These policies may include expungement of certain criminal records, social equity programs, and other initiatives aimed at promoting diversity and inclusion within the industry.

New laws regarding the sale of marijuana gave these ex-cons a second chance at life and business. The New York Cannabis Control Board approved a package of regulations that included licensing requirements for distributors, dispensaries and others. The new rules created requirements for the licensing of eight types of businesses. Plant nurseries, cultivators, processors, cooperatives, distributors, dispensaries, delivery services and microbusinesses. New York state now has more than 300 cultivators and processors who have been operating with conditional licenses. Those who are in good standing will be able to transition to a general, or nonconditional, license.

New York does not have a cap on the number of available licenses, though some experts guess that the state will need close to 2,000 dispensaries alone to handle consumer demand! That’s a lot of weed going up in smoke. Looking forward to Con Bud’s opening.