NY's 2nd legal marijuana dispensary days from opening in Manhattan

NEW YORK (PIX11) — New York’s next dispensary, and the first owned by someone previously criminalized over marijuana, is just days from opening, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Thursday. 

Smacked LLC, owned and operated by Roland Conner, will open at 144 Bleecker Street in Manhattan on Tuesday at 10 a.m. The state’s first legal dispensary, opened on Dec. 29, is also in Manhattan.

"Given my experience with cannabis, I never could have imagined that I would be opening a store like this,” Conner said. “I'm grateful for the opportunity to open a business with my son and wife at my side and build generational wealth, working together, right here in New York. But this is not just about me and my family. This is about everyone who was harmed by the draconian drug laws of the past. New York's commitment to righting those wrongs through the law is inspiring.”

There will be a soft opening of Smacked through Feb. 20, state officials said. The dispensary received money from the New York Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund, which is designed "to support equity entrepreneurs at the forefront of the adult-use cannabis market."

The pop-up nature of the opening will give Conner time to fast-track sales and start making money for the business, authorities said. After soft openings, dispensaries in the pop-up program then close for final construction before later re-opening on a long-term basis.

More than 30 dispensary licenses have been approved by the New York State Cannabis Control Board. Many of those licenses were reserved for those with past convictions for marijuana offenses. Officials have not yet specified when other dispensaries might open their doors.

"This dispensary is the latest example of our efforts to build the most equitable and inclusive cannabis industry in the nation," Gov. Kathy Hochul said. "As we continue to work toward righting wrongs of the past, I look forward to new dispensaries - owned by those most impacted by the over policing of cannabis prohibition - opening soon."