Sarah Yanez-Richards
New York, 29 Dec. Hundreds of people have flocked to New York’s first legal recreational marijuana dispensary that opened its doors Thursday, not minding the long lines and wintry temperatures.
“We have bought gummies (cannabis edibles) and a vaper,” Jhon and Jay told EFE as they left the Housing Works Cannabis store, located in the lower part of Broadway Avenue (south of Manhattan), which is operated by the NGO Housing Works, which offers services to people with AIDS, homeless people and former prisoners.
Jhon, who did not want to give his last name, said that as a young man he would never have 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,” Jay notes.
The venue officially opened to the public over 21 years of age this Thursday at 4:20 p.m. (21:20 GMT), a nod to “4:20”, the popular number related to marijuana.
“Two thousand people have RSVP’d (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.” Housing Works CEO Charles King told reporters.
The executive director explained that the reason why they cannot accept any credit card is that “cannabis is not yet federally legal”, but he announced that in a week they will be able to set up a system so that customers can pay with credit cards. debit.
In the long line to enter the premises reggae sounded and more than one was already smoking marijuana while waiting their turn.
New York joined the US states in March 2021 that have legalized marijuana use, but until today there were no stores where you might legally buy cannabis.
Almost at the end of the line, Tim told EFE that he is willing to wait for time, since it is a “historic” day and that from now on he will only buy marijuana in this type of establishment.
The authorities had promised to open the marijuana dispensaries by the end of the year, but the regulation process took longer than expected and, in the end, only this store will open while the licensing process continues.
According to the statement published this Thursday by the governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, 280 farming families have received permits to cultivate the plant, which will be sold in stores “operated by successful businessmen who have been imprisoned for issues related to cannabis, or have a relative in these circumstances, as well as by NGOs that help individuals 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 Adult Conditional Use Retail Dispensary Licenses, including 28 for qualifying businesses and 8 for non-profit organizations,” the statement added. .
However, since legalization, the sale of this substance and its derivatives in unlicensed premises and on the streets has become popular in the Big Apple.
“The Office of Cannabis Management and the mayor’s office are keeping their word to decrease the number of illegal competitors so we have a fighting chance. We are not selling adulterated products and we cannot say the same regarding them. We do not sell to minors old, and we’re paying our taxes,” King said. EFE
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