This licensed cannabis store on Union Square West advertised its legality while under construction, July 13, 2023. | Marcus Santos/THE CITY.
This article was originally published on Jul 18 5:00am EDT by THE CITY. Sign up here to get the latest stories from THE CITY delivered to you each morning.
By Rachel Holliday Smith and Gabriel Poblete, The City
Weed has been legal in New York since 2021, but the state is still working out regulating, licensing and taxing it differently than any other place — and the new system is still budding.
As THE CITY has reported, the licensing of retail dispensaries has been rocky and slow. In that vacuum, illegal pot shops have proliferated across the five boroughs. And much of the rest of the would-be legal cannabis system — delivery, home growing and on-site consumption — has hardly gotten off the ground.
If you’re new to the topic, here’s where things stand in the legal weed world in New York City and the state.
Is weed legal in New York?
Yes, with some caveats. Thanks to a bill passed by Albany lawmakers in 2021, New Yorkers 21 years and older can possess, use, buy, transport, smoke or consume up