1st legal weed dispensary in New York opens in Greenwich Village today
Long lines are expected in front of New York’s first legal weed dispensary right in the heart of New York City.
Those very first sales of pot will be at Housing Works Cannabis Company in Greenwich Village. The dispensary will open on Thursday.
Housing Works is the nonprofit that mainly helps the HIV/AIDS community and also formerly incarcerated people. Housing Works Cannabis Company is the new arm of the nonprofit. They operate everything from thrift shops to bookstores to support their mission.
The first official sale is expected to take place at 11:45 Thursday morning, following a press conference attended by the Office of Cannabis Management Executive Director Chris Alexander.
Appropriately, the public sale will not begin until 4:20 p.m.
First, New York decriminalized weed, then it legalized it. But many people believe the repairs are not done yet.
By involving nonprofit organizations like Housing Works in the selling of weed and local farmers in production, the state hopes to make the industry as equitable as possible.
Regardless of equity, it is clear that the sale of legal cannabis in the state of New York will be a success.
One worker at Housing Works Cannabis Company, Sasha Nutgent, said ahead of their launch, “It’s extremely exciting and nerve-wracking because we are cutting it close. But we’re getting it open on time.”
And the demand is high for their grand opening.
“We have an RSVP list that will not stop growing,” Nutgent said.
Join us for the opening of the FIRST licensed retail cannabis dispensary in New York! 🌿💚
Where: 750 Broadway @ 8 St, Manhattan
RSVP here: https://t.co/2c5gsTfj4x
More info: https://t.co/bEBpmUKr3c pic.twitter.com/5FxjLSgsRY
— Housing Works (@housingworks) December 28, 2022
The dispensary is located at 750 Broadway and on Thursday it will be serving patrons until 7:10 p.m. Moving forward, Housing Works Cannabis Co.’s hours will be from 11 a.m. until 7 p.m. daily.
All proceeds from their dispensary sales will go to their parent organization, which was founded in 1990 to address HIV/AIDs and homelessness.
So far, the New York State Cannabis Control Board has approved 36 additional Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary Licenses. In the coming months, the state is expected to issue 139 more.
We’ve done it NY! Dec. 29, the FIRST 21+ legal cannabis sales will begin with a @HousingWorks non-profit assisting justice-involved individuals.
Thank you @GovKathyHochul for your commitment to the Seeding Opportunity Initiative & all you’ve done to bring this industry to life.
— NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) December 21, 2022
To help more businesses get their storefronts up and running, the state released guidance earlier this month to allow licensed vendors to deliver marijuana by bikes and scooters.
Even though recreational weed was legalized in the state back in 2021, legal sales have not been allowed until now. Illegal sellers have been in operation for many months around the city and across the state.
What you should know before purchasing legal weed in NY:Be prepared to show proof that you are 21 years of age or olderThere will be limitations on how much you can buy, depending on the productInitial menus and product offerings will be limitedYou cannot resell the cannabis products you buyIn areas where tobacco smoking is prohibited, so is smoking potDo not drive while under the influence of marijuanaKeep the cannabis products you purchase within the state of New York, crossing state lines with marijuana is a federal offenseLong lines are expected at the first dispensaries, so be ready to wait
If you plan to purchase at Housing Works Cannabis Co. in the coming days, they are currently a cash only business.
“A lot of people don’t realize the illegal smoke shops are drivers of crime also. We’ve had a series of people who have been targeting these illegal smoke shops that are sprouting up all over our city. And we think the legal cannabis industry is going to balance out the illegal. And then our coordination, we are going to zero in on them to make sure they don’t sprout up all over the city,” Mayor Adams said.
Officials caution you not to head over to Jersey to buy weed and bring it back to NYC because that is still illegal.
All of this is an attempt to begin to heal the damage done by incarcerating people with marijuana-related convictions. First, New York decriminalized weed, then it legalized it. But many people believe the repairs are not done yet.
By involving nonprofit organizations like Housing Works in the selling of weed and local farmers in production, the state hopes to make the industry as equitable as possible.
Regardless of equity, it is clear that the sale of legal cannabis in the state of New York will be a success.
One worker at Housing Works Cannabis Company, Sasha Nutgent, said ahead of their launch, “It’s extremely exciting and nerve-wracking because we are cutting it close. But we’re getting it open on time.”
And the demand is high for their grand opening.
“We have an RSVP list that will not stop growing,” Nutgent said.
The first official sale will be made Thursday, at 11:45 a.m., following a press conference attended by the Office of Cannabis Management Executive Director Chris Alexander.
Appropriately, the public sale will not begin until 4:20 p.m.
