New York City’s mayor has a bold plan to kick start cannabis cultivation, New Mexico got its first cannabis consumption lounge, and New Jersey finally opened its recreational cannabis market.
Let’s dive into this week’s cannanews.
Earlier this month, New York City Mayor Eric Adams joined a panel of Black mayors from all across the state to discuss the many challenges of implementing cannabis legalization. During the panel, Adams shared that one of his biggest obstacles was figuring out how to develop cannabis cultivation in the densely populated New York City.
As a solution, Adams proposed installing hydroponic greenhouses all over the city’s rooftops. More specifically, on the rooftops of New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) facilities.
“We want to examine the possibilities of having a greenhouse space on NYCHA rooftops to grow cannabis,” Adams said. “The jobs can come from NYCHA residents. The proceeds and education can go right into employing people right in the area.”
Though the mayor’s plan doesn’t lack creativity, experts have been quick to point out one major flaw. “There isn’t much more to say, marijuana is illegal in public housing,” said NYCHA spokesperson Olga Alvarez.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) currently provides more than half of the funding for the NYCHA. If Adams’ plan was to go into action, the NYCHA would immediately lose its federal government funding.
What do you think of Eric Adams’ vision of cannabis cultivation in the Big Apple? Would you like to see it go into action if federal government funding wasn’t at stake? Let us know in the comments!
New Mexico’s newly formed cannabis industry is off to an amazing start! Its first day of legal cannabis alone resulted in over $1.9 million in sales. Two weeks later, the state is already celebrating the opening of its first consumption lounge.
Sol Cannabis, located in the city of Las Cruces, officially opened its doors on April 16, becoming New Mexico’s first consumption lounge. The location operated solely as a dispensary prior to receiving its consumption license last Friday.
Sol Cannabis’ lounge will replicate the bar environment where patrons can come relax after a long day at work—without the alcohol of course! The lounge will feature an indoor room with a dab bar, pool table, games, and even an outdoor patio.
For co-owner Alex McClesser, who is 5 years sober from alcohol, the cannabis lounge is a dream come true. “As an adult how do you do that [socialize] without getting drunk and reckless, but I’m not reckless when I smoke weed, so it’s kind of better,” said McClesser.
Curious New Mexicans can visit Sol Cannabis from Monday to Saturday between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
After a long wait, New Jersey residents will finally be able to purchase recreational cannabis. Sales are set to begin on Thursday the 21, at which point residents and visitors aged 21 and up will be able to shop inside one of the state’s 13 dispensaries.
According to the New Jersey Regulatory Commission (NJRC), customers will be limited to a maximum purchase of 1 ounce of cannabis. That translates to a limit of 5 grams for concentrates, resins, and oils or 1000 milligrams for edibles.
“We encourage everyone to be safe—buy only from licensed dispensaries and start low and go slow…” stated NJRC executive director Jeff Brown. He then added a reminder to visitors from other states that “it is illegal to transport cannabis across state lines.”
It should be noted that New Jersey purposefully chose not to launch sales on 4/20, a well-known holiday in the cannabis community. The move was made in an effort to prevent large crowds from interfering with the state’s limited cannabis supply.
With New Jersey’s legal market now off the ground, keep an eye on how the industry grows over the next couple of months. According to the New York Times, the state has already received more than 320 cannabis retail shop applications.
Will you be making plans to visit a New Jersey dispensary? What are you most interested in purchasing? Let us know in the comments!
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