The first legal dispensary for recreational marijuana in New York is set to open Dec. 29, marking a long-awaited launch of a cannabis industry that could become one of the country's most lucrative.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that Housing Works, a minority-controlled nonprofit in Manhattan that serves people with HIV and AIDS, will be the first of 36 recently licensed dispensaries to begin selling cannabis to the general public — even though dozens of illegal shops have been in operation for many months.
"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," Gov. Hochul said. "The industry will continue to grow from here, creating inclusive opportunity in every corner of New York State with revenues directed to our schools and revitalizing communities."
Get Tri-state area news and weather forecasts to your inbox. Sign up for NBC New York newsletters.
The 4,400-square foot corner building at Broadway and Astor Place was the winner of the first location — the very first place in New York State where people can legally purchase recreational marijuana.
"They were just the first to get their paper in order there’s a bunch of others right behind them," said Chris Alexander of the state's Office of Cannabis Management.
The announcement was made one month after the state's Cannabis Control Board took a monumental step in establishing a legal marketplace for marijuana by issuing the first round of licenses, in which it greenlit three dozen businesses. In the coming months, the state is expected to issue an additional 139 licenses, with about 900 applicants waiting to learn their fate.
“The industry will continue to grow from here, creating inclusive opportunity in every corner of New York State with revenues directed to our schools and revitalizing communities," Hochul said in her announcement.
New York legalized recreational use of marijuana in March 2021.
Housing Works, which also serves homeless and formerly incarcerated people, was one of eight nonprofits among the initial licensees. The dispensary will be open every day starting Dec. 29, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
“This opportunity will not only give our team the resources to further our overall mission, but to feature and elevate products coming from LGBTQ+, BIPOC and women-led cannabis brands across the state," said Charles King, chief executive officer of Housing Works.
The state reserved its first round of retail licenses for applicants with marijuana convictions or their relatives, plus some nonprofit groups. It also planned a $200 million public-private fund to aid “social equity” applicants.
But it has been a slow process to get legal weed off the ground, which has left dozens of cannabis growers (many upstate and in the Hudson Valley) in limbo. They’ve grown tons and tons of product, but had nowhere to sell it — until now.
"It’s a step in the right direction but practically for us it doesn’t mean much because it’s just one," said Alex Keenan of Hudson River Kemp.
