It’s about time to get high in New York — legally.
The state’s first licensed marijuana shop will open for business next week — nearly two years after the law legalizing cannabis was approved, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday.
The social services group Housing Works will start selling weed and THC-infused edibles on Dec. 29 at its location at 750 Broadway in Greenwich Village, near NYU and Union Square.
The cannabis law was approved in March of 2021 by the legislature and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Hochul has sought to speed up the process since taking over as governor in August of last year.
“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 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.”
Housing Works serves New Yorkers with HIV/AIDS and aids the homeless.
The Post reported Sunday on the Housing Works’ location for the first pot shop, a former Gap store with plenty of space to sell a multitude of marijuana products, from pre-rolled joints, to tinctures, concentrates and edibles.
The sprawling space has 4,400 square feet on the main level and 2,000 square feet downstairs.
The iconic building where the dispensary will be located, known as 1 Astor Place, was completed in 1883.
All proceeds from cannabis sales will be directed to the parent organization Housing Works, Inc., founded in 1990 to address the dual crises of HIV/AIDS and homelessness.
Cannabis Control Board Chairwoman Tremaine Wright said, “I’m excited that a non-profit like Housing Works, with its support for formerly incarcerated individuals, will lead the way with sales.
The start of sales through the Seeding Opportunity Initiative is just the beginning of the robust ecosystem we’re building – the equitable and inclusive market will grow from here with supports throughout to ensure licensees are able to overcome barriers and build this new industry.”
Said Charles King, CEO of Housing Works, “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.”
The first 36 cannabis licenses awarded — 28 to individuals and 8 not-for-profit groups — involve people who’ve had marijuana-related convictions.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment. That said, our nonprofit’s mission remains as urgent as ever. We are eager to take the lead as a social equity model for America’s cannabis industry, specifically with our hiring practices and continued support of individuals and communities disproportionately impacted by the unjust War on Drugs,” said Sasha Nutgent, Store Manager of Housing Works Cannabis Co.
New York’s cannabis law is a “seed to sale” program, meaning the flowered product must be grown, cultivated, manufactured and sold in New York.
Thus far, the state Cannabis Control Board has approved licenses for 280 New York farmers to grow cannabis.
But Housing Works and other state-licensed cannabis shops coming on line will face competition from hundreds — if not thousands — of unlicensed stores already selling pot.
Critics say the roll-out of New York’s cannabis program is turning into a bad trip.
One recent study claimed there are “likely tens of thousands of illicit cannabis businesses” currently operating out of bodegas, smoke shops and other storefronts in New York City — with some pop-up shops selling bad or dangerously tainted weed, a new study reveals.
The Post even discovered three unlicensed cannabis shops in sleepy Kew Gardens.
A recent survey conducted by Upper West Side Councilwoman Gale Brewer’s office revealed that 26 of the 61 bodegas, delis and smoke shops checked were illicit cannabis sellers.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams last week vowed a crackdown on the plethora of illicit cannabis shops that have sprouted up like weeds all across the five boroughs, and which now threaten the viability of state-licensed operators about to open.
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