First Recreational Cannabis Store opens in New York

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I was once sent to prison for possessing marijuana illegally," Guy (pseudonym), a volunteer at New York's first cannabis retail store, Housing Works Cannabis Co., shared his personal experience with 2FIRSTS staff. "Once, when police searched my car, they found some marijuana and suspected me of being involved in street black market trading. Fortunately, marijuana is now legal in New York state, and last month the Office of Cannabis Management began issuing retail licenses. As far as I know, I am the only person who has obtained a license in my own name, and now I can sell marijuana legally.

On December 29th, the first store in New York, Housing Works Cannabis Co, to be approved for selling recreational marijuana officially opened. Over 2,000 local residents queued up to purchase the products. Today, January 2nd, marks the fifth day since the store opened and the 2FIRSTS team visited the retail store to see what it's like on the front lines. Long lines of customers were seen outside the store, showing that the hype around the store has not diminished since its first day of business.

On the fifth day of the store's opening, customers were seen queuing up in front of the entrance. (Image source: 2FIRSTS)

The store boasts a total of four counters, and customers must make reservations in advance to receive personalized one-on-one service upon entry. According to Guy, this retail establishment offers an extensive range of cannabis-related merchandise, including cannabis buds, edibles, vaporizers, and dip cannabis, among other items. Customers can make purchases both in-store and online, with options to pick up their orders in-person or have them delivered to their location.

The store clerk provides personalized service for each customer (discreetly photographed) | Source: Waiting customers in line inside 2FIRSTS (discreetly photographed) | Source: 2FIRSTS.

It is worth noting that this store only accepts cash payments since the sale of recreational marijuana remains illegal at the federal level, hence credit card or Apple Pay options are not supported.

Customers Making Payment (Non-standard Footage) | Source: 2FIRSTS

In terms of price, 2FIRSTS frontline staff learned from three in-store consumers who refused to give their names that cannabis products in the store are generally priced at about twice the amount of the illegal street market. Although this is currently the only legal channel, they indicated that in the future, they may once again purchase cannabis products from the black market on the streets.

Inside the shop, an electronic pod with a net weight of 1 gram and a THC concentration of 85% retails for $84.8. In comparison, a pack of replacement pods with four 0.7ml pods from a certain brand, designed for nicotine e-cigarettes, is only sold for $16.99.

Guy stated that he no longer has to worry about his actions being illegal. After volunteering at this store for a period of time, he plans to open his own marijuana shop.

The store’s posters read: "Advocating for drug use (referring to the use of marijuana, etc.), saving lives, and ending stigmatization.

In November 2022, the New York State Marijuana Control Office issued the first 36 licenses for retail sales of recreational marijuana. Housing Works was the first retailer to receive a license, allowing legal sales of recreational marijuana in New York State. The licenses were not only issued to non-profit organizations providing help services to drug addicts, but also to some business operators with prior criminal records involving marijuana, such as Guy.

In fact, this is not the beginning of marijuana legalization in the state. As early as 2014, New York State passed legislation allowing for the use of medical marijuana prescriptions, and in March 2021, legislation was passed allowing for the possession of recreational marijuana for those 21 years of age or older, with a maximum of 3 ounces (about 100 grams) of inhalable marijuana flower, or up to 24 grams of concentrated marijuana (such as cannabis oil). However, at that time, marijuana users still did not have a legal avenue to obtain marijuana until November 2022 when the issuance of cannabis retail licenses took the state's marijuana legalization to a new level, namely legal retail sales.

2FIRSTS will continue to monitor this issue and report firsthand information. Stay tuned for updates.

Reference Materials

The above link directs to the official website of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, where an informative page on marijuana can be found. The page provides various health-related topics on the use of marijuana, including information on the potential effects of marijuana use, the legality of marijuana in New York, and guidelines for safe and responsible cannabis consumption. The site aims to educate individuals on the risks and benefits of using marijuana and offers resources for those seeking help related to substance abuse.