New York approved its first 15 adult-use conditional processor licenses Monday, meaning growers can now turn cannabis plants into products like edibles, vape cartridges and oils, according to the state's Office of Cannabis Management. These products will be sold at New York's first retail dispensaries, OCM said in a statement.

"When we open New York's first stores, owned and operated by New Yorkers harmed by the misguided criminalization of cannabis, the shelves will be lined with infused edibles, topical creams and concentrated oils," Tremaine Wright, chair of the Cannabis Control Board, said in the statement. "None of those products would be possible without these first processors launching New York's cannabis industry."

During a board meeting Monday afternoon, New York marijuana regulators approved regulations for cannabis labs across New York. These rules will attempt to ensure cannabis products sold in the state do not contain pesticides, heavy metals or other adulterations.

"New Yorkers should know that while we're moving quickly to get this industry off the ground, we're making sure that it will deliver products they can trust," said Chris Alexander, executive director of the OCM.

Additionally, the board approved an additional 19 adult-use conditional cultivators, meaning 242 farms are now licensed to grow adult-use cannabis in the state. John Kagia, who has served as the Chief Knowledge Officer for New Frontier Data, a company that tracks the cannabis industry, was also appointed as the director of policy for OCM on Monday.