New York OKs 99 more pot shop licenses after court ruling

New York regulators have approved 99 new provisional licenses for recreational marijuana dispensaries. The state is trying to speed up the rollout of a legal market that had been impeded by a court ruling. A federal court ruling last fall put retail licensing on hold in some regions, including Brooklyn and the Buffalo area. But a federal appeals court lifted most of that injunction last week, The Cannabis Control Board provisionally approved the new licenses Monday. New York legalized recreational marijuana two years ago, but only seven shops have opened. Legal operations are also undermined by a proliferation of unlicensed stores.