New York opens its first recreational cannabis dispensary 

New York opened its first-ever regulated cannabis dispensary in Manhattan’s East Village on Thursday at 4:20 p.m., New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced. 

Housing Works Cannabis Company is the first licensed cannabis dispensary in the state to open for business. All of the proceeds will be directed to Housing Works, a non-profit that runs a “network of charitable retail storefronts” and services people with HIV/AIDS and the homeless, the governor said in a press release. 

“We set a course just nine months ago to start New York’s adult-use cannabis market off on the right foot by prioritizing equity, and now we’re fulfilling that goal,” Hochul said.

The bill, signed by former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in March 2021, allows adults over 21 to purchase recreational marijuana throughout the state from authorized sellers. However, possession of marijuana was largely decriminalized in the state in 2019. 

Additionally, the New York State Cannabis/Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act expunges previous marijuana convictions and will allow adults to grow six mature marijuana plants per household. 

“Today marks a major milestone in our efforts to create the most equitable cannabis industry in the nation,” said New York City Mayor Eric Adams in a statement on Thursday.

“The legal cannabis market has the potential to be a major boon to New York’s economic recovery – creating new jobs, building wealth in historically underserved communities, and increasing state and local tax revenue,” Adams said.

The state board gave out 36 initial retail licenses. Out of the 900 applicants, 28 of the first licenses were given to individual businesses, and eight to non-profits.