New York’s First Licensed Cannabis Shop Opens Today At 4:20

New York’s first licensed cannabis dispensary will be opening its doors to customers for the very first time today at 4:20 pm local time, CBS New York reports.

Housing Works is a charitable nonprofit located in the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. In addition to selling adult-use cannabis products, the company will continue to offer nonprofit services to individuals experiencing homelessness as well the formerly incarcerated and/or justice-involved individuals.

Even more shops will be opening next year — 36 retail licenses have already been issued for the state’s adult-use industry and regulators are set to start issuing cannabis delivery licenses next month, the report said. The state prioritized applicants with social equity status for the first round of cannabis retail licensing.

“The opening of the first legal dispensary in our state right here in New York City is more than just a promising step for this budding industry — it represents a new chapter for those most harmed by the failed policies of the past,” said NYC Mayor Eric Adams in a statement celebrating the opening. “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.”

Housing Works’ store manager Sasha Nutgent said previously the launch was a “once-in-a-lifetime moment,” and that the nonprofit was “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.”