The first store selling legal cannabis in New York opens its doors and hundreds flock

The first store selling cannabis legal opened its doors this Thursday in the heart of Manhattan, in NYwith the permission of the city authorities.

More than a hundred people rushed to the opening of the association store Housing Worksa non-profit organization, the first licensed in the state of New York (eastern United States), which has already delivered 36 authorizations since November 21.

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“The first sale of legal cannabis for adults represents a historic boost for the cannabis industry in New York”, congratulated the Democratic governor of the fourth state of the United States, Kathy Hochul.

People wait in line outside the Housing Works Cannabis Company during the opening of the first legal cannabis dispensary in New York City on December 29, 2022. (Photo by KENA BETANCUR / AFP) (KENA BETANCUR /)

The state of New York, whose territory extends to Canada, favored the Housing Works association, which helps HIV-positive people, ex-convicts and the homeless, because it is committed to delivering the first 150 licenses to merchants who have at some point been convicted of possession or sale of cannabis.

This, with the aim of repairing what he considers to be an unfair and disproportionate impact of decades of marijuana prohibition, particularly against the African-American and Hispanic communities.

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The City Council forecasts sales of 1.3 billion dollars in 2023 and the creation of between 19,000 and 24,000 new jobs in three years.

Source: Elcomercio