After drug conviction, NY couple plans marijuana dispensary

By CLAUDIA TORRENS
The Associated Press

HICKSVILLE, N.Y. (AP) — A New York couple who endured the war on drugs is eager to open a recreational marijuana dispensary. The state plans to reserve the first 100 retail cannabis licenses for people with marijuana-related convictions. Eladio Guzmán spent two years in jail for selling drugs, missing the birth of his first child. The 44-year-old now works as union steamfitter. His wife Melissa Guzmán witnessed the arrest of several relatives. Her uncle spent a decade in jail and was later deported. Because the couple qualifies as “social equity” applicants, they’re working to get a marijuana dispensary license. They say owning a small business would provide a better future for their children.