New York Governor Kathy Hochul marked the upcoming five-year anniversary of the passage of the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which legalized adult-use cannabis, established the Office of Cannabis Management, and laid the foundation for a regulated, equity-driven cannabis industry in New York.
Her office said that since the launch of adult-use sales, New York’s cannabis market has generated $3.3 billion in total retail sales and expanded to more than 600 licensed dispensaries statewide, with Pure Blossom on Manhattan’s Upper West Side recognized as the State’s 600th licensed retail location.
The state has issued 2,161 adult-use cannabis licenses statewide.
New York also offered highlights from its equitable cannabis industry efforts:
- 56 percent of adult-use cannabis licenses across the supply chain have been awarded to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants, exceeding the State’s statutory goal
- 57 percent of SEE licenses have been issued to women-owned businesses, and 51 percent to minority-owned businesses
- 342 Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licensees have been approved statewide
- 86 percent of CAURD dispensaries are currently open and operating across New York
“I grew up on this block. I played on these sidewalks, went to school in this neighborhood, and watched Amsterdam Avenue change over five decades. Opening Pure Blossoms here isn’t just about business, it’s about giving back to the community that raised me. I want the kids who grow up on this block to see someone who looks like them, who came from where they came from, building something real and doing it the right way. That’s what this is about for me," said Pure Blossoms Owner Mike Rodriguez in a statement.
