I visited New York twice, in the summer of 2019 and the summer of 2022. I was able to confirm two facts: the apocalypse article’NYC is dead forever‘ It was proved wrong by James Altucher that doomed the city in the early months of the pandemic (“New York is dead forever”), and the city’s a persistent marijuana scent this wasn’t three years ago.

This difference is explained by the legalization of recreational marijuana for people over the age of 21 in New York state, the fifteenth to take this step in 2021. With a market of up to $4,200 million on the horizon, its taxation is too meaty to ignore.

85 grams in your pocket, one and a half kilos at home

This legalization means that New Yorkers can carry and smoke or smoke up to 85 grams of marijuana anywhere indoor or outdoor smoking is allowed, including in hotels, excluding areas such as schools, stalls, workplaces or vehicle interiors. . In the case of concentrated marijuana, possession is limited to 0.85 ounces (about 25 grams).

It is also allowed to have at home three pounds (almost a kilo and a half) if stored safely. The smell of marijuana cannot be used as a reason to stop and search for a pedestrian. The paradox is that there are areas on public streets where you cannot smoke or smoke tobacco outdoors. In the rest, the vast majority of public spaces are now also allowed to smoke cannabis.

A sign warns that smoking (of any kind) is prohibited on 8th Avenue.

This is a relic of the city in 1988, perhaps ahead of its time, when tobacco everywhere was still far more normalized in most parts of the world. Today, non-smoking areas coexist with areas where smoking is also legal, which until recently was strictly prohibited and continues to be so in most states of the country.

In addition to the generalized marijuana smell, street-level results also proliferation of a large number of dedicated storesIt’s impossible to walk for a long time in Manhattan without bumping into someone. A common picture is for someone to drop one of them and stand at the door to smoke.

There’s a reason for this proliferation: those that started opening up after legalization was announced and before the state of New York began issuing licenses for these entities.

Canopies and entrances to cannabis stores in New York, with some announcements of upcoming openings.

It’s an unregulated period that has caused many small stores to have the opportunity to open quickly before the first licenses are issued in the spring. Its requirements include a $2,000 fee, a detailed business plan, and an audit of good practices, among others.

Apart from these small businesses, the state has investment plans to “create the most inclusive adult cannabis industry in the country,” according to its governor. They announced in April tax exemptions regulations that allow hemp cultivation on New York farms and for those businesses that have exactly that purpose. The smell of pottery in Manhattan goes a long way.