New York issues first 36 dispensary licenses for recreational marijuana

Eight non-profits and numerous applicants with past cannabis convictions among first batch to receive licenses

New York issued its first 36 cannabis dispensary licenses on Monday, taking a monumental step in establishing a legal and lucrative marketplace for recreational marijuana.

The licenses approved by the state's cannabis control board were the first of 175 the state plans to issue, with many in the first round reserved for applicants with past convictions for marijuana offenses.