These nonprofits will open New York’s first retail weed stores

A handful of nonprofits will be the only licensed storefronts on day-one of adult-use cannabis sales in New York. Here’s where to find them while other rec stores remain delivery-only.

If you plan to take part in history by purchasing legal weed on day one of sales in New York, your options will be limited to less than eight nonprofit operators, three of which are located in New York City.

Most of the first licensed retail stores in New York’s cannabis market don’t have storefronts yet, and they won’t before the legal market officially opens next week (December 29th, tentatively). Those locations will be owned and operated by individuals with New York cannabis convictions, and funded by the state’s dormitory authority (DASNY). The store build outs could take months, so most retailers will use delivery to reach customers in the meantime.

For those who want to shop in person from jump, the eight licensed nonprofits that already have new or existing locations will be the first to welcome adult-use shoppers with open doors when sales begin.

In November, New York’s cannabis board identified the nonprofits as the first of 25 total that will help lead the state’s retail cannabis market. These orgs were awarded licenses based on years of remarkable community work, which includes helping individuals with convictions gain job training, opportunities, and housing to aid their reintegration into society.

For now, these orgs will set the tone for the Hempire State’s first recreational cannabis shops. Here’s how they secured a place in New York history, and how to find them on day one of legal sales.

Housing Works

Location: 750 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 Manhattan – Broadway between Eighth Street and Astor Place (Greenwich Village)

Operating hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday

About the org: Housing Works is a nonprofit that supports over 15,000 people with HIV/AIDS annually, making it the nation’s largest community-based AIDS service group and minority-controlled AIDS org.

The organization provides mental health care, job services, and case management, among other services. In 2018, the organization launched its Justice Initiative, which focuses on serving previously incarcerated New Yorkers.

Housing Works also operates 12 thrift shops throughout all five boroughs, along with a bookstore café, and a processing distribution center. These businesses hire graduates of the org’s job and peer training programs.

About the new Housing Works weed store: Housing Works’ new dispensary will take over a large space that was previously a Gap retail location. The store has 4,000 square feet on the main level, plus 2,000 more on a lower floor. The New York Post reported that the store will open tentatively on December 29th.

The store will sell flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, and edibles, according to state and municipal documents. Housing Works’ new retail location will have at least three security guards on-site at all times, according to plans filed with the state.

The Doe Fund (store to be renamed)

Location: 835 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 Manhattan – Broadway and East 13th St. in Greenwich Village.

Operating hours: 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. everyday

About the organization: Since 1987, The Doe Fund has fought to break the vicious cycle of mass incarceration, criminal recidivism, and intractable poverty that traps many New Yorkers. The Doe Fund’s initiative, “Ready, Willing & Able,” gives marginalized groups and New Yorkers who’ve served prison time temporary work, housing, education, training, and emotional support. The Culinary Arts is a popular path for trainees, enabling careers in the food service industry.

About The Doe Fund’s new weed store: The Doe Fund’s store will be renamed before opening in the coming weeks. It will operate from the ground floor of a five-story building just a block away from Union Square Park, a Whole Foods, and a major subway station.

The store plans to offer California brands legally through white labeling, though it is not yet clear how participation in a federally illegal market could impact the nonprofit filing status of The Doe Fund or other nonprofit organizations. Still, Paul Yau, the store’s CEO expressed confidence that new dispensaries will not jeopardize the org’s federal tax-exempt status. The Doe Fund CEO Paul Yau told local reporters the org will open a small section of the space in the coming weeks, while the rest of the store is renovated.

The Doe Fund is now connecting with cultivators and processors across New York, in search of long-term vendors who can fill their shelves. “We’re looking to source as many products as we can from BIPOC and women-owned New York State brands,” said Arana Hankin-Biggers, the store’s president in an interview with Syracuse.com. Hankin-Biggers said they plan to meet with every single farmer in New York State, and are “also looking to incorporate a really fun experience inside the store.”

“We’re working closely with local farmers, and … we have a really good team of folks who are vetting all of the available product in New York State right now.”

Ariana Hankin-Biggers, The Doe Fund dispensary president

Urban Upbound

Location: Queens – Exact location to be announced

Operating Hours: To be announced

About the organization: Queens-based organization Urban Upbound assists New Yorkers, including formerly incarcerated individuals, to find employment. They provide 1-on-1 career counseling, job readiness training, financial education, and work placement programs, as well as retention services for unemployed and underemployed youth and adults.

Urban Upbound also operates a Federal Credit Union (UUFCU), which has become a pillar for the communities it services. UUFCU has a proven track record of giving Queens residents financial tools to promote long-term wealth building and economic mobility that their constituents cannot access from traditional banks.