After troubled start, New York is shaking up its legal marijuana market with new competitors

By MICHAEL HILL
Associated Press

RAVENA, N.Y. (AP) — New York is dramatically expanding a legal marijuana market plagued by a sluggish rollout of retail stores. State regulators last Wednesday opened a 60-day window to accept general applications to grow, process, distribute and sell pot. They expect to issue more than 1,000 new licenses starting early next year, with a priority on retail. Newly adopted regulations will allow companies licensed to sell medical marijuana to expand into the adult retail market by the end of the year. That move worries farmers and retailers. They fear being squeezed out by deeper-pocketed companies who will be able to to both grow and sell.