New York's first legal pot shop opens

A 1,340-square-meter corner building in Manhattan's Greenwich Village became home to New York's first legal adult-use cannabis dispensary for recreational marijuana on Thursday.

"The local community members and stakeholders are really excited," Trivette Knowles, official spokesperson for the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, or OCM, told China Daily.

"Obviously, it takes a lot of responsibility on OCM to do informational campaigns and meet communities where they're at, and anybody who has any fear or hesitation. We are here and ready to communicate with you and go through any of those concerns."

Nearly two years after the law legalizing cannabis was approved in New York State, Governor Kathy Hochul announced last week that the social services group Housing Works will be the first licensed dispensaries to begin selling cannabis to the general public.

"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.

Industry expected to grow

"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, a minority-controlled nonprofit in Manhattan, operates a dozen thrift stores and a bookstore, in addition to serving the homeless and those with HIV/AIDS.

The state's Cannabis Control Board issued the first round of licenses last month. Housing Works is one of eight nonprofits granted licenses last month by the board, along with 26 individual operators with past marijuana convictions.

The cannabis law was approved in March 2021 by the state legislature and former governor Andrew Cuomo.

Some local community residents are concerned about the safety and want marijuana to be kept away from children, Knowles said.

Other critics said the rollout could turn into a bad trip.

A study conducted by the New York Medical Cannabis Industry Association in November revealed that there are "likely tens of thousands of illicit cannabis businesses" currently operating out of bodegas, smoke shops and other storefronts in New York City.

Those illicit operations and their products represent a significant public health concern, the study said. From 2019 to 2020, more than 2,000 people were hospitalized, and 60 people died from illnesses caused by lung injury linked to additives in illicit THC vapes like those currently sold in illegal shops, according to the study.