New York’s long grind toward an equitable adult-use cannabis marketplace is picking up steam as the Empire State approaches its one-year mark since commercial sales commenced.
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced 13 recent and upcoming store openings that will increase the state’s adult-use retail footprint to 37 dispensaries, including operations in eight municipalities that previously had no access available. These areas include Amsterdam, Brooklyn, Potsdam, Rochester, SoHo, Troy, Upper East Side (Manhattan) and Westchester County.
At the new stores, New Yorkers will have access to safer, licensed products that are produced, grown and tested to meet the state’s “rigorous” safety standards, Hochul said in a press release.
“As New York expands the most equitable cannabis market in the nation, my administration remains committed to building a safe industry for all New Yorkers that will grow our small business community,” she said. “These new dispensaries continue our mission of strengthening our legal market while at the same time helping to push out the bad actors who skirt our laws and undermine all we are trying to accomplish.”
Following are the 13 recent and upcoming openings:
- The Highest Peak, a woman-owned dispensary, opened Dec. 7 as the first adult-use retailer in the Village of Potsdam (North Country).
- 420 Bliss, a Black-owned dispensary, opened Dec. 7 as the first adult-use dispensary in Troy (Capital Region).
- Capital District Wellness opened Dec. 8 in Albany (Capital Region).
- Amsterdam Cannabis opened Dec. 9 as the first adult-use dispensary in Amsterdam (Capital Region).
- Elevate opened Dec. 11 in Mt. Vernon as the first adult-use dispensary in Westchester County (Mid-Huson Region).
- MJ Dispensary opened Dec. 12 as the first adult-use dispensary in Rochester (Finger Lakers)
- Premier Earth Corp. opened Dec 13 in Buffalo (Western New York).
- The Firehaus opened Dec. 13 in Potsdam (North Country)
- Hush opened Dec. 14 in the Bronx (New York City)
- Dagmar Cannabis, a woman-owned dispensary, opened Dec. 15 as the first adult-use retailer in SoHo (Manhattan).
- Grow Together, a Black-owned dispensary, will open Dec. 19 as the first adult-use dispensary in Brooklyn.
- Happy Days will tentatively open Dec. 23 in Farmingdale (Long Island).
- THC Herbal Care, the first adult-use dispensary in the Upper East Side, will tentatively open Jan. 4 in Manhattan (New York City).
Among New York’s adult-use dispensary operators, eight are majority Black-owned, five are Hispanic-owned and nine are women-owned, highlighting the state’s Seeding Opportunity Initiative that put a focus on positioning entrepreneurs most impacted by the injustices of cannabis probation to be the first to make adult-use cannabis sales.
As a result, more than 20 percent of current adult-use dispensaries are majority Black-owned, much higher than the national average.
This comes after court-ordered injunctions put a monthslong halt on the state’s licensing efforts, beginning in early August and lasting until a late-November settlement.
“This is going to be a busy and exciting month for New York cannabis as over a dozen licensees finally get the chance to open their doors for business,” Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) Executive Director Chris Alexander said. “What’s particularly heartening is not just seeing these stores open, but seeing who is operating them.
“Considering the national landscape, where Black and Brown ownership in cannabis is exceedingly rare, I am incredibly proud of this result. This isn’t just about numbers; it’s a clear indication of our dedication to creating a more equitable and inclusive cannabis industry.”
As equity licensees continue to work toward becoming operational in New York’s adult-use market, Hochul signed legislation in May that was intended to curtail unlicensed cannabis storefronts, which have outnumbered licensed dispensaries by an 800-to-1 ratio in New York City, according to an August estimate from the city’s council.
Since June, enforcement officers from the OCM and Department of Taxation and Finance have been inspecting shops, seizing products and padlocking unlicensed stores, according to Hochul’s office.
This enforcement effort has led to roughly 350 inspections, 88 of which have led to follow-up inspections, with more than 11,000 pounds of seized cannabis product valued at more than $54 million, according to the governor’s office.
