Recreational marijuana: 2nd legal weed dispensary in New York opening Tuesday in Greenwich Village

GREENWICH VILLAGE, Manhattan (WABC) — New York State’s second legal marijuana shop is holding a ceremonial first sale Monday before it opens to the public on Tuesday.

The store on Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village is called Smacked.

It is the first legal dispensary opening in New York State that is owned by someone with a previous marijuana conviction.

They’re holding a press conference about it later Monday morning.

Earlier this month, the thrift shop Housing Works was the first to open a licensed dispensary in New York State.

It is also located in Greenwich Village, about a 10-minute walk from Smacked.

A spokesperson for the state’s Office of Cannabis Management says they’re going to open up about 36 more shops in the coming weeks.

The locations are strategic, located away from schools and not too close together.

The product in the shops comes from regulated farms, and it has been tested in state labs.

Right now there are roughly 1400 illegal weed shops across the city.

Businesses have been taking advantage of what appears to be a lack of consequences for selling without a license.

The issue was the subject of a New York City Council joint committee oversight hearing last week.

Eyewitness News anchor Bill Ritter asked the Office of Cannabis Management’s senior policy director about the problem on Up Close.

“The way we’re running the dispensaries, there’s going to be a buffer between each one,” said Alex Bernabe. “So you’re not going to get what you have here, with five or six of them lined up in the same street. They’re all going to be separated, you can’t see through the windows. You’re going to have security measures, they’re going to be carding everybody, and you’ll lose your license if you sell to someone under 21.”

“So what we’re seeing now is that transferring period between people abusing the system as we work to shut them down and the new dispensaries coming online,” Bernabe continued.

The fact is, it has been very hard to shut down the illegal shops.

The sheriff’s office will raid a store, and they are restocked the next day.

What you should know before purchasing legal weed in New York

Be prepared to show proof that you are 21 years of age or older

There will be limitations on how much you can buy, depending on the product

Initial menus and product offerings will be limited

You cannot resell the cannabis products you buy

In areas where tobacco smoking is prohibited, so is smoking pot

Do not drive while under the influence of marijuana

Keep the cannabis products you purchase within the state of New York, crossing state lines with marijuana is a federal offense

Long lines are expected at the first dispensaries, so be ready to wait

Even though recreational weed was legalized in the state back in 2021, legal sales have not been allowed until now. Illegal sellers have been in operation for many months around the city and across the state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

ALSO READ | Alarming issues found in Tri-State’s adult guardianship systems

———-

* Get Eyewitness News Delivered

* More Manhattan news

* Send us a news tip

* Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts

* Follow us on YouTube

Submit a tip or story idea to Eyewitness News

Have a breaking news tip or an idea for a story we should cover? Send it to Eyewitness News using the form below. If attaching a video or photo, terms of use apply.