The first recreational marijuana store opened in New York on Thursday, more than a year after the state legalized the drug.
Housing Works, a non-profit organization fighting homelessness and AIDS, has set up shop in New York City’s East Village.
The organization was among the first 36 groups or individuals granted a license to retail marijuana by the state last month.
“We prioritize remediation of damages, including damages through state policies,” Chris Alexander, executive director of the New York State Office of Cannabis Management, said at a news conference at the store. “It is no coincidence that people disproportionately incarcerated for possession of drug sales are those of black or Latino origin.
New York lawmakers legalized marijuana in March 2021, but stipulated that it should only be sold by licensed dealers to adults over the age of 21 and that the first licenses be given to those who had previously been arrested or convicted of marijuana giving them precedence over resellers in the lucrative state market. Dealers may also sell marijuana that licensed New York growers have grown and processed into ready-to-use marijuana.
A 13.5% tax will be levied on marijuana sales in New York, with revenue going to schools, public housing, addiction treatment and mental health services.
