New York is often known as one of the country’s pinnacles of progress in many regards, including weed. The state legalized recreational use in 2021, and it has since been the home of a successful legal market. In 2024, Eric Adams, New York City’s disgraced current mayor, launched an initiative to close over 1,400 illicit cannabis businesses in the city. The closures were meant to encourage other legal businesses, including cannabis dispensaries. In a reaffirmation of his feelings towards the legal market, Adams said on Saturday that he wants NYC to become “the cannabis capital of the globe.”
RELATED: What New York and California’s cannabis industries can learn from each other
As reported by amNewYork, on July 19, Adams spoke at the first New York City Cannabis Festival and Resource Fair, where he said, “We want to make sure that New York becomes the cannabis capital of the globe. Learn, get more information and let’s keep lighting up.”
According to the mayor, his administration has opened 175 legal dispensaries around the city, and he wants to continue reducing the hurdles associated with opening these businesses. The state as a whole has 433 cannabis dispensaries to show for itself, and about two million adults reported using the plant in 2023.
The state’s current weed landscape
Legal obstacles still heavily restrict NYC’s weed market—some dispensary owners, like Jessica Naissant, reported having to wait close to three years to open after applying. A court injunction put many November and December 2023 applications on hold, just now finding the time to review the ones from November.
“Harlem, like many communities of color, was disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition. It’s not just about celebration. It’s about equity,” said Dynishal Gross, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Small Business Services, according to amNY.
Other business owners like Erin Thurmond—president of Pif Pharm Cannabis Co.—expressed frustration with the license procuring process.
“I can’t continue to participate in selling cannabis while seeking a license. I have investors, but they can’t invest until I have approval.” According to amNY, Thurmond is hopeful that he will hear back by the end of 2025, as he was promised.
NYC’s legal cannabis sales have surpassed $350 million, and Adams told the crowd at the weekend festival that he wants that money to be in their pockets, not the government’s, making amends for the inequitable enforcement of weed laws on communities of color.
RELATED: New York open for comment on problematic proposal
New York City’s mayoral election is on November 4, and while the incumbent candidate is far from a favorite to win, reaffirming initiatives like these may help him when the polls open. States like Colorado and California are often seen as the U.S.’s premier weed locales, but New York—and specifically its most populated city—may be joining their ranks very soon.