Mayor Eric Adams rolled out his Cannabis NYC initiative Thursday to promote the regulated growth of the recreational marijuana industry across New York City.

The City Department of Small Business Services commissioner Kevin Kim joined the mayor at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn to pledge support for small businesses and entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry as New York prepares for the next phase in recreational marijuana, which was legalized in March of last year. The state of New York is planning to prioritize recreational cannabis licenses for those who have been most affected by past convictions for marijuana.

“The regulated adult use cannabis industry is a once-in-a-generation chance for underserved communities, especially Black and brown communities, to be a part of this new industry here in our city,” Adams said Thursday.

Commissioner Kim said the program’s immediate goal is to expand resources for retail license applicants. New York state has established nine distinct application categories including retail dispensary, cultivation, processing, and on-site consumption. The state Office of Cannabis Management will begin accepting retail license applications this Thursday, August 25th. State officials have said recreational marijuana sales could begin as early as this year.