NEW YORK — Adults will soon legally be able to buy recreational marijuana in New York. The state’s first cannabis dispensary will open its doors on Thursday afternoon in Manhattan.
CBS2 spoke with the nonprofit set to make the first sale.
Wednesday marked the low before the high at Housing Works Cannabis Company in the East Village. Starting at 4:20 p.m. on Thursday, adults age 21 and over will legally be able to buy recreational marijuana.
“Everything from wrapped to pre-wrapped … edibles, just a full array at different price points,” Housing Works CEO Charles King said. “Tomorrow, we expect a very long line down the block, but after that we’ll be able to serve people pretty expeditiously.”
King joined CBS News New York ahead of the grand opening. Housing Works is known for serving homeless New Yorkers and people living with HIV and AIDS. He said the nonprofit had been working on getting a license to sell recreational pot for the last three years.
“We serve overwhelmingly a population that has been criminalized by the war on drugs and we felt it was appropriate for us to be able to not only sell cannabis, but use that as an opportunity to hire and employ people who’ve been just as involved due to use and possession of cannabis,” King said.
So far, the New York State Cannabis Control Board has approved 36 adult retail licenses. Housing Works will be the very first to open its doors, an exciting prospect for many in the area.
“I’m a chronic pain sufferer and I know that edibles, theoretically, help with chronic pain, so if it’s something that could give me some relief, I’m happy to try it,” one person said.
But critics have worried legalizing pot will bring an increase in crime and traffic accidents, and a decrease in quality of life. King argues regulating marijuana will help control all the illegal spots that have opened.
“Currently, cannabis sellers aren’t paying taxes. We’ll be paying taxes to the city, the state and the federal government. So legalizing cannabis and bringing in a regulated market is a way to improve the system overall for everyone,” King said.
H/T: www.cbsnews.com
