Harlem Getting NY's First Legal Weed Store, State Says

HARLEM, NY — The first legal marijuana shop to open in New York will be situated in the heart of Harlem, according to state officials and a news report. An official with the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) said this week that the agency has chosen a property at 248 West 125th St., right across from the Apollo Theater, according to THE CITY.A DASNY spokesperson would not confirm that address when Patch inquired, but said that the agency "has signed a lease for a site in Harlem for adult use cannabis, and can now work to complete certain operational requirements for this location."The operator of the dispensary has not been publicly named, but DASNY will start construction on the 2,800-square-foot space once a final design plan is approved, according to THE CITY.

The vacant, one-story storefront between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. and Frederick Douglass boulevards was previously home to a COVID-19 testing center.Details about the state's first official weed shops have been eagerly anticipated ever since New York legalized recreational marijuana last year. In November, the state issued its first 36 licenses to aspiring retailers, choosing from a pool of applicants who had mostly been caught up in the criminal justice system for cannabis-related offenses.New York had aimed to open its first 20 legal marijuana stores by the end of 2022, but that timeline has appeared in doubt as the state's Office of Cannabis Management stalled on announcing any locations."As we continue to work on identifying sites and finalizing leases with landlords for more than 100 adult use cannabis dispensaries across the state, we will provide updates on progress when announcements will not impact ongoing lease negotiations," DASNY spokesperson Jeffrey Gordon said. Click here for the rest of the story!