First LI pot licenses go to accountants, caterers, contractors, gas station owners

Here is the information the state released Monday on the first seven firms licensed to sell recreational marijuana on Long Island. "Justice involved" applicants are those who were convicted of a marijuana-related offense or are related to someone who was. Successful applicants must have owned a business that turned a profit for at least two years; those businesses may still be operating. The licensees didn’t respond to requests for comment or couldn’t immediately be reached.

• Brian Stark Enterprises LLC — Owned by Brian Stark, a justice involved applicant who owned and operated Aqua Wash Laundry Corp., a self-serve laundromat based in Brooklyn
• Albert D Capraro — Owned by Albert Capraro, a justice involved applicant who owned and operated Long Island Glass Replacement Inc., a retail storefront that sold glass doors, showers and windshields in Commack
• Strain Stars LLC — Owned by Kamaldeep Singh, Tushar Mallick, Jasmin Kaur, Darminder Sing and Gurmeet Sing. Kamaldeep Singh, a justice involved applicant, owned and operated Whitestone Mart Inc., a gas station in Whitestone, Queens, and has a hemp retail license.
• Root 13 LLC — Owned by Manjit Singh and Harpreet Singh, a justice involved applicant who owned and operated Just Accounting LLC, an accounting and payroll company based in Flushing, Queens
• Growth Industries NY LLC — Owned by GI New York LLC and Daniel Connolly, a justice involved applicant who owned and operated Hemp Clouds LLC, a retail smoke shop in Centereach
• Keep it 100 LLC — Owned by Marquis Hayes, Christina Johnson, James Kahn and Kim Stetz. Hayes, a justice involved applicant, owned and operated Brown Butter New York, a high-end catering and specialty foods company.
• Hydo Phonics — Owned by Bryan Whalen and John Alvarez, a justice involved applicant and licensed contractor who owned and operated J & G Construction Management, a home construction and remodeling business in Suffolk County

By Sarina Trangle

sarina.trangle@newsday.comSarinaTrangle

Sarina Trangle covers affordability and cost of living issues and other business topics. She previously worked as an editor and reporter at amNewYork.