BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Starting Oct. 4, New York state will begin accepting applications for new cultivators, retailers, processors and microbusiness licenses that will allow cultivators to sell their own cannabis out of a farm stand or small retail venue.

The Office of Cannabis Management said it expects to issue close to 1,500 new licenses.

"We're expecting thousands of applications from folks all across the country who want to come and operate in what will be the best market in the world," Chris Alexander, state Office of Cannabis Management executive director, said during an advisory board meeting Tuesday.

The office said it won't be able to issue the new licenses until early next year due to a 60-day window to apply followed by a statutory 30-day cure period when applicants will get a chance to fix any issues.

"There will be a lot more detail being issued in the coming days around the license rollout, how many licenses, the application process, the issuance of licensing to our social and economic equity applicants versus to the general public and what those allocations are going to look like," Director of Policy John Kagia said.

The state has already issued roughly 700 conditional licenses, including 273 cultivators, 40 processors, 463 justice-involved retailers and 10 not-for-profit retailers. However, only 23 stores are open to date as litigation continues to stall that end of the industry.

"The performance of our retail stores has been extraordinary in terms of how much demand there has been," Kagia said. "But addressing and continue to expand our retail opportunities to ensure this product can be sold is one of the driving priorities of the office."

The state said it is continuing to work with the court on top of bringing new licensees online. The conditional adult-use dispensary or CAURD licenses, are good for four years from the day they are granted so there's not a need for those retailers to apply for the more permanent licenses yet.

However, it said conditional cultivators licenses are expiring much sooner and the Office of Cannabis Management is recommending they start the transition during the upcoming window.

"This will not be the only time that are conditional licensees can transition. We'll open up another period for the transition before that license expires but we hope they will get it done now," Alexander said.

The Office of Cannabis Management said the Cannabis Growers Showcase it recently implemented as a way to help sell a significant surplus of products has also helped cultivators begin to make sure they are in compliance and good standing with the state.