that they would suffer major economic losses if their businesses were prevented from opening.
Dan Morena said he submitted a letter of intent to the state from a Manhattan landlord prior to the lawsuit but didn’t hear back on whether the location was approved. He said he had already invested tens of thousands of dollars into his business — between lawyer’s fees and other expenses — and that he had spent months searching for the right financial backer.
Entrepreneurs who were not on the state’s list will still have a chance to plead their case to the court. In a letter sent to licensees on Monday, the state Office of Cannabis Management said it was setting up an electronic form for people to detail the damages they would suffer if they could not move forward with opening their businesses. State officials will then present those requests to the court.“You have to find a way to ease it,” he said.