Hundreds of people flock to the first legal marijuana store in New York

Sarah Yanez-Richards

New York, December 29 (EFE).- Hundreds of people came to the first legal recreational marijuana dispensary in New York which opened its doors on Thursday despite the long line and winter temperatures.

“We bought gummies (cannabis edibles) and a vaper,” Jhon and Jay told EFE as they left the Housing Works Cannabis store, located on lower Broadway Avenue (southern Manhattan), which is run by the NGO Housing Works, which offers services to people with AIDS, the homeless, and ex-convicts.

John, who declined to give his last name, said as a young man he never imagined that marijuana would be legal.

“We’ve been smoking since high school and college, it’s been over 20 years since then and we can finally go to a store and buy weed,” notes Jay.

The venue officially opened to the public over the age of 21 this Thursday at 4:20pm (9:20pm GMT), a nod to “4:20,” the popular marijuana-related number.

“Two thousand people responded (online). I have no idea how we’re going to accommodate, but we have to do our best to sell to every single person that comes in. You have to bring cash because we can’t accept debit cards yet,” he told ai reporters the CEO of Housing Works, Charles King.

The executive director explained that the reason they can’t accept any credit cards is that “cannabis isn’t federally legal yet,” but announced that in a week, they’ll be able to set up a system so customers can pay by credit card. charge.

Reggae was playing in the long line to enter the club and more than one was already smoking marijuana while waiting for their turn.

New York joined the US states in March 2021 that legalized the use of marijuana, but until today there were no shops where you could legally buy cannabis.

Nearing the end of the line, Tim told EFE that he is willing to wait for the weather, as it is an “historic” day and that from now on he will only buy marijuana in this type of establishment.

Authorities had promised to open marijuana dispensaries by the end of the year, but the regulatory process has taken longer than expected and ultimately, only this store will open as the licensing process continues.

According to the statement released Thursday by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, 280 farming families have received permits to grow the plant, which will be sold in stores “run by successful businessmen who have been jailed for issues related to cannabis, or having a relative in these circumstances, as well as by NGOs that help people who have suffered inequality in the repression during the prohibition of this drug”.

“To date, the New York State Board of Cannabis Control has approved 36 conditional use retail dispensary licenses for adults, including 28 for qualified businesses and 8 for non-profit organizations,” the statement added. .

However, since legalization, the sale of this substance and its derivatives in unauthorized premises and on the street has become popular in the Big Apple.

“The Office of Cannabis Management and the Mayor’s Office are keeping their word to reduce the number of illegal competitors, so we have a fighting chance. We do not sell adulterated products and we cannot say the same about them. We do not sell to minors seniors, and we’re paying our taxes,” King said. EFE extension

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