Governor Kathy Hochul on Thursday announced the opening of a dozen new adult-use dispensaries from Brooklyn to Buffalo as the State continues to expand the legal adult-use cannabis market and welcome new operators. By the end of December, New York State anticipates having at least 37 adult-use dispensaries open for business.
“As New York expands the most equitable cannabis market in the nation, my administration remains committed to building a safe industry for all New Yorkers that will grow our small business community,” Governor Hochul said. “These new dispensaries continue our mission of strengthening our legal market while at the same time helping to push out the bad actors who skirt our laws and undermine all we are trying to accomplish.”
Among these dispensaries, eight are majority Black-owned, five are Hispanic-owned, and nine are women-owned. According to recent industry research, fewer than 20 out of the 10,000 medical and adult-use cannabis retail shops across the country are majority Black-owned. Meaning less than 0.2 percent of all national dispensaries are Black-owned, while in New York over 20 percent of adult-use dispensaries are majority Black-owned.
Hochul said New York State accomplished this, despite two different court-ordered injunctions slowing down the Empire State’s