愛污传媒

Skip to main content

New York to open first legal pot dispensary by the end of the year

A worker selects cannabis flowers for packaging at a marijuana farm operated by Greenlight, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Grandview, Mo. Marijuana growers and sellers in Missouri and several other states are helping fund campaigns as voters decide whether to legalize recreational sales in upcoming elections. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel) A worker selects cannabis flowers for packaging at a marijuana farm operated by Greenlight, Monday, Oct. 31, 2022, in Grandview, Mo. Marijuana growers and sellers in Missouri and several other states are helping fund campaigns as voters decide whether to legalize recreational sales in upcoming elections. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
Share
NEW YORK -

The first legal dispensary for recreational marijuana in New York is set to open Dec. 29, marking a long-awaited launch of a cannabis industry that could become one of the country's most lucrative.

Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Wednesday that Housing Works, a minority-controlled nonprofit in Manhattan that serves people with HIV and AIDS, will be the first of 36 recently licensed dispensaries to begin selling cannabis to the general public -- even though dozens of illegal shops have been in operation for many months.

The announcement was made one month after the state's Cannabis Control Board took a monumental step in establishing a legal marketplace for marijuana by issuing the first round of licenses. In the coming months, the state is expected to issue an additional 139 licenses, with about 900 applicants waiting to learn their fate.

"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," Hochul said in her announcement.

New York legalized recreational use of marijuana in March last year.

Housing Works, which also serves homeless and formerly incarcerated people, was one of eight nonprofits among the initial licensees.

"This opportunity will not only give our team the resources to further our overall mission, but to feature and elevate products coming from LGBTQ+, BIPOC and women-led cannabis brands across the state," said Charles King, chief executive officer of Housing Works.

The state reserved its first round of retail licenses for applicants with marijuana convictions or their relatives, plus some nonprofit groups. It also planned a US$200 million public-private fund to aid "social equity" applicants.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The Maritime Sikh Society says the body of a young employee who died at a Walmart in Halifax last weekend was found by her mother.

Four people are dead and another is in hospital after a Tesla driving through downtown Toronto at a high rate of speed crashed into a guardrail and struck a concrete pillar on Lake Shore Boulevard.

Local Spotlight

A new resident at a Manitoba animal rescue has waddled her way into people's hearts.

Hundreds of people ran to the music of German composer and pianist Beethoven Wednesday night in a unique race in Halifax.

He is a familiar face to residents of a neighbourhood just west of Roncesvalles Avenue.

A meteor lit up our region's sky last night 鈥 with a large fireball shooting across the horizon over Lake Erie at around 7:00 p.m.

Residents of Ottawa's Rideauview neighbourhood say an aggressive wild turkey has become a problem.

A man who lost his life while trying to rescue people from floodwaters, and a 13-year-old boy who saved his family from a dog attack, are among the Nova Scotians who received a medal for bravery Tuesday.

A newly minted Winnipegger is hoping a world record attempt will help bring awareness for the need for more pump track facilities in the city.

A Springfield, Ont. man is being hailed a 'hero' after running into his burning home to save his two infant children.

Hortense Anglin was the oldest graduate to make her way across the platform at York University's Fall Convocation ceremony this week. At the age of 87, she graduated with an Honours degree in Religious Studies.

Stay Connected