Photos by Steven Walker
New York's second-state licensed cannabis shop debuted this morning on Bleecker Street in Greenwich Village.
Smack LLC also marks the first Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary license in New York operated by an owner with a prior marijuana conviction.
Here's more about the owner, Roland Conner, via the press advisory:
Prior to receiving this license, Roland Conner owned and operated property management businesses in New York City for 15 years. He currently manages a transitional housing facility providing shelter for two dozen men in The Bronx. Mr. Conner is opening Smacked LLC with his son and wife. In applying for his license, Mr. Conner received support from the Bronx Cannabis Hub, which was founded by the Bronx Defenders and the Bronx Community Foundation to support individuals applying for the first round of CAURD licenses."I am so excited to become a part of history as the first individual to open a legal cannabis dispensary in New York City. Given my experience with cannabis, I never could have imagined that I would be opening a store like this. I'm grateful for the opportunity to open a business with my son and wife at my side... But this is not just about me and my family. This is about everyone who was harmed by the draconian drug laws of the past. New York's commitment to righting those wrongs through the law is inspiring. I am proof of that commitment because I'm standing here today."
East Village-based photographer Steven Walker shared these photos from the grand opening...
The Housing Works Cannabis Co. store — New York's first legal recreational marijuana market — opened to great fanfare and long lines on Dec. 29 on Broadway at Eighth Street in a former Gap retail space.
