The state has approved licenses for the first three dozen recreational marijuana stores.
However, Chris Alexander of the State Office of Cannabis Management says pressure will continue on those who have been illegally selling pot without a license for months.
Because of a recent court order, licenses will not be awarded for the Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse regions -- as well as the mid-Hudson Valley and Brooklyn.
People getting a license will still face one more hurdle.
They'll have to submit supplemental paperwork to the state, and notify local authorities where they plan to locate their business.