New York Cannabis Licensing Chaos: Lawsuit Claims Bias and Governor Calls Rollout a 'Disaster'

A federal judge rejected an attempt to stop New York's cannabis licensing process, allowing the troubled rollout of the state's recreational weed market to continue despite legal challenges. The lawsuit argued that the licensing rules unfairly discriminate against out-of-state residents, but the judge concluded that halting the process would cause more harm to the state's adult-use cannabis industry. New York still faces additional legal hurdles as it grapples with illicit storefronts and a slow rollout of licensed dispensaries.