Somewhere in the East Village, a pizza joint slings cannabis-infused pies in a speakeasy-like environment.
Stoned Gourmet Cannabis Pizza the brainchild of the so-called “Pizza Pusha” Chris Barrett has operated in a sort of gray area since it opened last October. Reservations are made by direct messaging with a private Instagram account, which captures photos of guests lighting joints and dining on THC-infused pepperoni pizza and “Ganja” (Garlic) Knots. On one wall is a red neon sign that reads “Either light up or leave me alone.” And police have, thus far, looked the other way.
The establishment is one of an unknown number of underground marijuana speakeasies in the city. But with recreational marijuana now legal in New York, those businesses may be able to emerge from the darkness and enter a retail landscape that’s desperate for business.
Cuomo signs N.Y. pot bill, with sales due as soon as 2022 Thursday, 01 April 2021
New York is set to become the nation’s second-largest legal marijuana market after Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday signed legislation allowing the licensing of dispensaries.
Cannabis storefronts will be allowed to open as soon as next year under the measure (S.854A/A.1248A), which the Legislature cleared on Tuesday.
New York is the 16th state to decide to let adults use cannabis, though marijuana stores probably won’t open in New Jersey until next year, and South Dakota’s law is under appeal. New Mexico’s legislature is on track to pass its bill this week. Under New York’s law adults age 21 and older would be allowed to purchase and consume cannabis.
arrow Ivan Torres, 62, lighting up before a bike ride on Wednesday Scott Heins/Gothamist
Ivan Torres has been smoking weed in New York City for more than four decades. As arrests began to soar in the late 1990s, he said he was one of the tens of thousands of Black men charged for low-level marijuana possession, earning a criminal record that followed him for much of his adult life.
On Wednesday afternoon, hours after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill officially legalizing marijuana in New York, the 62-year-old sat on a bench in Bed-Stuy and smoked his first ever legal spliff. “I never felt like I was doing anything wrong,” he told Gothamist. “Things have definitely changed for the better.”
New York legalizing weed could mean big things for the future of the cannabis industry
New York this week became the latest state to legalize recreational cannabis, and in doing so, it’s poised to become one of the nation’s largest markets.
Another multibillion-dollar business opportunity would be lucrative for cannabis businesses, but industry members and insiders also are viewing the Empire State in a broader light. They think that having a prominent state such as New York enact legalization could ultimately influence cannabis’ future trajectory nationally and potentially help it shed its federally illicit status.
“New York is definitely a catalyst for more states to legalize and open up, as well as federal legalization,” said Ross Lipson, chief executive officer and co-founder of cannabis e-commerce marketplace Dutchie, which recently hauled in a $200 million investment from prominent tech VC firms.
New York reaches a deal to legalize recreational marijuana boston.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from boston.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.