New York's First Recreational Marijuana Dispensary

More than a year after the state legalized marijuana, and amid delays in creating the legal market to aid those previously imprisoned for marijuana-related offenses, the first licensed marijuana store in New York finally opened its doors.

Housing Works, a non-profit dedicated to combating AIDS and homelessness, established the dispensary in New York City's East Village. The state granted a marijuana retail license to the non-profit organization last month, making it one of the first 36 organizations or people to receive one.

Press conference

At a crowded press conference held at the store, Chris Alexander, the first executive director of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, said, "We're prioritizing correcting harm, the harm that's ever been done by the state's rules." It's no coincidence that a disproportionate number of Black, Latino, or Latina inmates are locked up for narcotics possession and sale.

History of legalizing marijuana

When New York lawmakers legalized marijuana in March 2021, they stipulated that it could only be sold by licensed retailers to adults over 21. They also mandated that the first licenses would be given to business owners who had previously been arrested or convicted for marijuana-related offenses, giving them an advantage over corporate retailers in the lucrative market. Retailers are also restricted to selling marijuana cultivated and processed in New York by certified producers.
 
New York indicated in its early pledges that it would find ready-to-open storefronts and business loans for the first licensees and that non-profit groups that assist formerly imprisoned individuals, such as Housing Works, would be eligible for certailicenseses. However, the process took longer than expected.

In the meantime, a grey market has developed, with unlicensed sellers selling cannabis illegally from stores and slickly branded trucks all around New York City.

Licensing requirements

Unlicensed businesses will not be accepted, according to Democratic Mayor Eric Adams. The state's director of marijuana, Alexander, claimed that regional and national law enforcement have been informing gray-market sellers of the licensing requirements, sending them cease-and-desist letters as a result, and, more recently, confiscating goods.

Illegal under federal law 

The fact that marijuana is still illegal under federal law despite being fully authorized in 20 other states might make it challenging for vendors to obtain business loans and other banking services.

Some of the smokables lower at Housing Work cost $20 to $30 for an eighth of an ounce (or 3.5g), and the pre-rolled joints are made from marijuana grown by Florist Farms in Cortland, upstate New York.

Karli Miller-Hornick, the farm's co-founder, said that this will transform their business. "We will be able to hire more people."

In New York, a 13.5% tax on marijuana sales will go toward public housing, schools, addiction treatment clinics, and mental health services.