Housing Works Cannabis Co

History was made in NYC on Thursday morning: New York?s very first legal cannabis dispensary for recreational use opened and made its first sale. The purchase at Housing Works Cannabis Co made by Councilwoman Carlina Rivera is the very beginning of a budding industry and a milestone in the decades-long fight to legalize marijuana. The dispensary at 750 Broadway was one of the first entities in New York State to get a Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CUARD) license this November, meaning it now has permission to sell recreational cannabis. It was one of the first 36 licenses the state issued and one of eight nonprofits to receive a license.  RECOMMENDED: The everything guide to weed in NYC: what marijuana legalization actually means Housing Works Cannabis Co welcomed a mass of advocates, media, politicians and supporters on Thursday morning to mark the opening ahead of its 4:20pm opening, so we got a sneak peek and witnessed the first legal purchases in the state. Cannabis sales in New York State has a nice ring to it! ?Come through to 750 Broadway at 4:20. We?re blazing our trail to equity! pic.twitter.com/2eA6uQZJHz ? NYS Office of Cannabis Management (@nys_cannabis) December 29, 2022 ?It has been a long road for us to get here,? said Chairwoman of the Cannabis Oversight Board Tremaine Wright. ?There?s been a lot of fits and challenges and a lot of people who didn?t think we were going to hit the goal of quarter four 2022 opening a store. Now I can say hallelujah, we?re here together. [Housing Works] is a great partner to start with ? I am proud to say not only did we start the program but we lived up to our equity goals. We are truly committed to making sure cannabis and reinvestment in New York State happen simultaneously.? Here?s what you can expect from the first-ever legal cannabis dispensary in New York: 1. It?s incredibly accessible Photograph: courtesy of Wikimedia/Beyond My Ken Housing Works Cannabis Co at 750 Broadway (or 1 Astor Place) is across the street from the Eighth Street subway stop in Greenwich Village and around the corner from the Astor Place stop. The 4,400-square-foot store is in a former Gap store, so it has great foot traffic potential. Inside, there?s a ramp up to the store, too. So long as you?re 21 or older, you can make a purchase here. 2. It sells products from BIPOC and women-owned companies Photograph: Shaye Weaver/Time Out New York There will be a focus on smaller businesses (no corporate monopolies here!) owned by BIPOC and women, including Florist Farms, Back Home Cannabis Company, Aryloom and Lobo Cannagar. You?ll find vapes, edibles, flower, prerolls and more from these brands in addition to apparel and literature about smoking, cannabis, the mission of Housing Works and more. You can peruse its full menu here. 3. The money from your purchase will go back into the community Photograph: Shaye Weaver/Time Out New York Housing Works says it?ll put the generated revenue back into the community that it serves. Since 1990, it has been an advocate for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS and has provided lifesaving services and has done that through entrepreneurial businesses, including its 10 thrift stores and bookstore/cafe in Soho. The dispensary will be its 12th shop in NYC and one of many dispensaries it has planned. ?We have seen firsthand the ravages of the War on Drugs ? particularly the most marginalized people?low-income people and its no accident that disproportionately people incarcerated for possession and sale of drugs are people who are Black and Latino,? Housing Works CEO Charles King said at the opening. ?We intend to use the proceeds from what will not just be one retail outlet to ameliorate circumstances for other people who have been incarcerated as well as those affected overall by the War on Drugs.? ?The revenue generated here is going to support their work for homeless New Yorkers formerly incarcerated ppl living with HIV, that is equity?that is what this first site represents,? added Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. 4. It?s big wit