Tag: Dispensary
HITR #18: Solonje Burnett, The Weed Auntie
In this episode, KymB gets the “blunt” facts in a candid conversation with Solonje Burnett, the “Weed Auntie.”
Solonje is a trailblazing Brooklyn-based entrepreneur and activist in the cannabis space. As a two-time co-founder, first with Humble Bloom, and now as Chief Culture & Community Officer at Erven, Solonje shares her insights on how data and community-driven strategies are shaping the industry.
Solonje dives into her passion for self-care, mental health, and creating mindful moments, all while advocating for more diversity and inclusion. Tune in to hear how Solonje is leading the fight for cannabis by putting community first.
Photo by Mara Hoffman
HITR #17: Dharsh Casinathen, Joyleaf
In this episode, KymB gets the “blunt” facts in a candid conversation with Dharshini Casinathen, Co-founder and President of Joyleaf Recreational Weed Dispensary in Roselle, New Jersey.
In this interview, Dharsh shares her personal journey with cannabis, which began in 2018 as a medical patient in New Jersey. After starting her career as a CPA at KPMG Canada and spending over 13 years at PepsiCo, a Fortune 50 company, Dharsh held multiple leadership roles, building a strong foundation in leadership, finance, and operational excellence.
In 2020, an exciting opportunity in the cannabis industry arose, and Dharsh fully embraced it, marking the start of her true passion for cannabis. She went on to co-found the Joyleaf Dispensary in New Jersey, where she created a retail space that offers the perfect product for every moment, while actively working to destigmatize the plant. Dharsh talks about her love for selling cannabis and her dedication to providing her customers with the best possible experience and service. She explains how her corporate experience guides her thinking and her methods to surviving as an entrepreneur in a difficult retail environment.
8 Licensed Dispensaries in Manhattan to Visit During CWCBExpo
What makes CWCBExpo different in 2023 than prior years? This year is the first one where adult-use dispensaries are open in Manhattan! This means conference attendees can further explore the city’s cannabis scene by making a stop at a Manhattan cannabis dispensary.
4 adult-use dispensaries to visit in Manhattan
All adults 21 and over can shop at adult-use dispensaries. As of May 2023, the below four shops are open and accepting customers in Manhattan.
1. Union Square Travel Agency
Union Square Travel Agency is a cannabis dispensary that opened under a license held by a subsidiary of The Doe Fund, a non-profit organization that offers support to homeless and formerly incarcerated men in New York City. Union Square Travel Agency is Manhattan’s third adult-use dispensary, located one block from Union Square Park. The dispensary carries a wide range of New York-born and bred brands, with new products coming in each week.
How to get to Union Square Travel Agency from the Javits Center: Take the 7 train from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Grand Central/42nd Street, then transfer to the 5 train downtown on the green line to 14th Street/Union Square.
2. Housing Works Cannabis Co.
The Housing Works Cannabis Co., the first adult-use dispensary to open in New York City, is located in the NoHo neighborhood. The dispensary offers a wide range of cannabis products, including flower, pre-rolls, edibles, concentrates, and accessories. Proceeds from Housing Works Cannabis Co. support Housing Works, a NYC non-profit dedicated to providing housing, healthcare, and other resources for people living with HIV/AIDS.
How to get to Housing Works Cannabis Co. from the Javits Center: Take the 7 train from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Times Square/42nd Street, then transfer to the R/W train downtown and take that to the 8 Street Station.
3. Smacked Village
Smacked Village is New York’s first Black-owned cannabis dispensary. Located in Soho, Smacked Village is owned and operated by Roland Conner, who was previously convicted of cannabis charges due to Prohibition. The store offers a variety of products, including flower, edibles, and vape products, and aims to build a welcoming environment for all.
How to get to Smacked Village from the Javits Center: Take the 7 train from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Grand Central/42nd Street, then transfer to the 6 train downtown to Bleecker Street.
4. Gotham
Opened in May 2023, Gotham is located downtown on the Bowery. Intended for a more bespoke experience, the dispensary is geared toward carrying higher-end products from luxury brands in the space. Gotham partners with the not-for-profit STRIVE, which helps communities with employment training and support.
How to get to Gotham from the Javits Center: Take the 7 train from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Grand Central/42nd Street, then transfer to the 6 train downtown to Bleecker Street. Walk approximately 5 minutes to 3 East 3rd Street.
4 medical cannabis dispensaries to check out in Manhattan
If you have a New York State medical cannabis card, you can purchase your medicine at one of the four medical cannabis dispensaries in Manhattan. All of these locations are easily accessible by train. Keep in mind, though, that those without a New York State patient ID cannot buy medical cannabis in the stores.
1. Etain Health
Etain Health is a woman-founded and family-run medical cannabis company from New York City. The brand has a few dispensary locations, with one operating in Midtown East. Etain offers medical cannabis products to patients, including flower, capsules, extracts, and lotions, among other options.
The company is committed to advancing social justice issues in the cannabis industry by supporting initiatives that address racial and gender disparities in cannabis. They have a vast selection dedicated to women in this industry, including Potli, Sackville & Co., Chime and Chill, Barbari, and more.
How to get to Etain Health from the Javits Center: Take the 7 train from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Grand Central/42nd Street, then transfer to the 4 train uptown to 59th street. Walk approximately 3 blocks.
2. MedMen
Less than 2 miles from the Javits Center, MedMen’s New York City location resides among one of the poshest shopping districts in America. MedMen is a strictly medical dispensary. However, non-patients are permitted to enter the store and browse their merchandise.
How to get to MedMen from the Javits Center: Take the 7 train from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to 5th Avenue. Walk south approximately 3 blocks.
3. RISE Dispensary NYC
Located at 2 E. 30th St, RISE Dispensary offers medical cannabis for pickup and in-store shopping. RISE operates dispensaries in 14 states, including in the Empire State. The Manhattan location offers a variety of in-house brands spanning a full spectrum of products, including edibles and vapes. The dispensary provides something for just about everyone and strives to create a unique, comfortable environment and mood for patients.
How to get to RISE Dispensary from the Javits Center: Take the 7 train from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Grand Central/42nd Street. Transfer to the 6 train and take it downtown to 33rd Street. Walk approximately 3 blocks. Alternatively, you can take the M34/Select Bus Service (SBS) from Hudson Yards to the Empire State Building, and walk approximately 4 blocks south.
4. Columbia Care
Columbia Care is one of the original multi state medical cannabis operators. The Manhattan location, at 212 East 14th St., is known for providing a wide variety of high-quality products and consistently expanding its offerings to fit every lifestyle. Columbia Care strives to create an approachable, straightforward shopping experience for cannabis patients of all kinds.
How to get to Columbia Care from the Javits Center: Take the 7 train from 34th Street-Hudson Yards to Grand Central/42nd Street. Transfer to the 5 train and take it downtown to 14th Street/Union Square. Walk approximately 1 avenue to the dispensary.
What to expect when visiting a dispensary in NYC
Make sure you’re prepared before making your trip to a New York City dispensary. Here’s what you should have on hand before you plan to shop.
- Bring a valid ID: This is required to enter all cannabis dispensaries and make a purchase, regardless of whether they are medical or adult-use. Make sure to bring your government-issued ID to prevent any issues. If you’re heading to a medical dispensary, make sure you have your New York State identification card on you.
- Bring cash or a debit card: It’s common for dispensaries to only accept cash or debit cards. Make sure to have those methods of payment with you.
- Check out the menu ahead of time. Many dispensaries publish their menus online, so you can review the selection and know what you want before you head into the store. Take advantage of this convenient feature.
- Ask questions. This is a great opportunity for you to chat with dispensary associates and fellow customers about what they like best about the dispensary experience in the Big Apple.
Are there licensed adult-use dispensaries outside of Manhattan?
There are a few dispensaries outside of Manhattan, though the market has been slow to develop in part due to a court-ordered injunction that prevented cannabis regulators from issuing licenses to adult-use dispensaries in some parts of New York City. In March 2023, a federal appeals court lifted part of the injunction, clearing the way for the market to grow in the other boroughs.
A few days after parts of the injunction were lifted, Good Grades dispensary became the first licensed adult-use dispensary to open outside of Manhattan. Located in Queens at 62 East 13th St., the adult-use location is also New York State’s first woman-owned dispensary, owned by Extasy James and her cousin Michael James, Jr.
While no other adult-use dispensaries have yet opened in New York City, there are additional options for medical patients who want to explore outside of Manhattan. These dispensaries include Sunnyside Medical Cannabis Dispensary in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and Cannabist Dispensary of Brooklyn Heights, also in Brooklyn.
Will more dispensaries open in NYC?
More dispensaries are slated to open in New York City, but the program has been slow to roll out. The number of available cannabis licenses in New York is limited, with a total of 300 retail adult-use licenses available. The New York State Cannabis Control Board approved 99 more dispensary licenses in April 2023, bringing the state’s total to 165. New licenses included locations in Western New York, Central New York, Hudson Valley, and Brooklyn, marking the first to be issued in these regions after the March injunction.
In an effort to prioritize social equity and social justice in the industry, New York State is prioritizing giving dispensary licenses to non-profits and those with prior cannabis convictions. The policy is designed to provide opportunities to those who have been disproportionately impacted by The War on Drugs. More dispensaries are expected to open in the next few months, both in and outside of Manhattan.
Is there cannabis delivery in New York City?
Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license holders can offer their own delivery services. These license holders may also operate a temporary, delivery-only location for the first 12 months of their license issuance. More information about cannabis delivery can be found in this guidance from the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).
Get ready for an exciting week with CWCBExpo!
With the first licensed adult-use dispensary locations officially opened, visitors can explore the city’s industry firsthand. If you’re planning to visit CWCBExpo, don’t miss out on the opportunity to experience the best of Manhattan’s cannabis culture while you’re in town. Plan your visit now and get ready for an unforgettable experience!
Post-Show Newsletter May/June 2022
CWCBExpo Helps to Build East Coast Cannabis Market
CWCBExpo New York 2022 highlighted industry icons, trail blazers, visionaries,
The Honorable Mayor Eric Adams, and The Office of Cannabis Management
at its 8th Annual conference and expo at the Javits Center.
Show Floor Highlights
Exhibitors, sponsors, attendees and speakers networked on the show floor and at after-hour events, keeping the business discussions going and flowing.
Education Pavilion
Continuing the commitment to support education, the show floor featured an environment for those colleges that have cannabis curricula to exhibit their offerings. This show floor feature has helped to further tear down the stigma of cannabis and help highlight the most progressive learning opportunities. Many of these colleges are seeking to attract and partner with exhibiting companies and business owners who were at CWCBExpo to educate their workforces and communities.
Women Grow Pavilion
In keeping with helping to build the marketplace and industry, the Women Grow Pavilion featured 30 entrepreneurs who are leading female-owned cannabis-related businesses who exhibited their new products and innovations.
Proud Mary Lounge
We proudly celebrated Pride Month with the Proud Mary Lounge. Co-founded by Brie Brewer, Proud Mary advocates for LGBTQ+ inclusion in the cannabis industry. Proud Mary exhibited for the first time ever in a cannabis trade show and created the Proud Mary Lounge where everyone was welcome to relax and network in an inclusionary environment.
She Blaze Podcast
Hosted by Dasheeda Dawson and Ice Dawson, the award winning podcast went live from the show floor and interviewed our exhibitors, attendees and speakers.
Conference Highlights
Headliners, Keynotes, and Roundtables
The conference was kicked off with an informative industry update, “Trends and Opportunities in Marijuana and Hemp,” presented by Amanda Reiman, Vice President Policy Research, New Frontier Data. It was a great start to the first-day’s theme which was focused on investment.
The two investment-focused roundtables were presented with trailblazers and pioneers in the industry. One was, “Roundtable: Investors – Weed Meets Wall Street.”
Business leaders included: Terry Booth, CEO, Audacious/Australis Capital (AUSA); Steve Abraham, Head of Corporate Development and Investor Relations, The Blinc Group; Jay Czarkowski, Founding Partner, Canna Advisors; Chip Daniels, Founder, State Stox Group; moderated by Carl Cameron, Journalist.
The other roundtable was, “Beverages – Where is the Greenest Grass Growing and Flowing?” with industry business leaders: Tracy Mason, Co-Founder and CEO, House of Saka; Ron Shapira, CFA, Founder, Mosaic Advisory Partners; Ken VandeVrede, CEO Hillview Med; moderated by Christopher Smith, American Cannabis Report.
The attendees were captivated with the discussion about the future that beverages and cannabis have and how it can flourish.
CWCBExpo New York continued our Keynote, “In Conversation With…” series with Weedmaps CEO, Chris Beals, who spoke with Mona Zhang, States Cannabis Policy Reporter, Politico. They spoke to a packed audience about the history of Weedmaps and its success across the nation in promoting safe consumption and inclusion, and what’s next.
We also heard from Hip-Hop icon, actor, author and co-founder of the National Cannabis Party, Redman. Redman’s Keynote, “In Conversation With…” was with Steve Bloom, Publisher and Editor of CelebStoner.com, former Editor of High Times and former Editor-in-Chief of Freedom Leaf. The discussion was energetic and riveting as Steve and Redman discussed Redman’s climb in music, pop-culture and activism. We learned about Redman’s most recent journey as co-founder of the National Cannabis Party.
The Keynote Conversations continued with Nick Kovacevich, CEO of Greenlane Holdings talking with Tim Seymour, Co-Anchor of CNBC’s Fast Money. The audience heard about Nick’s pioneering journey as co-founder and chair of KushCo Holdings and his rise to Greenlane Holdings, which merged with KushCo Holdings in 2021. Nick’s leadership has led to the success and growth of Greenlane Holdings.
An Historic Year for New York
Honorable Eric Adams, 110th Mayor of New York City
In this historic year of legalized cannabis in New York, Mayor Eric Adams came to CWCBExpo and brought greetings and special remarks to attendees.
The audience heard first-hand about Mayor Adams’ support of the emerging cannabis and hemp industries.
Update on Licensing from Tremaine Wright, Chair of the New York Cannabis Control Board
Gia Moron, President of Women Grow and Founder of GVM Communications, spoke with Tremaine Wright, Chair of the NYS Cannabis Control Board. The audience received an update on NYS cannabis licensing. An enthusiastic Q/A period was had. Chair Wright walked the floor afterward and visited exhibitors.
Licensing and the Illicit Market
City and State Collaboration
Social Equity in Cannabis
The session, “Roundtable: Social Equity – Progress & Needed Change,” featured industry business owners, executives and professionals who have been working toward an equitable and fair cannabis industry for people of color, women, and all minorities. While progress has been made, much more needs to be done and all eyes are on NYS to implement a cannabis program that is the model for the entire nation regarding social equity provisions.
The audience heard from Jerel Registre, Fund Managing Director, Curio Wellness; Faye Coleman, Founder and CEO, Pure Genesis; Leo Bridgewater, Co-founder, Collective 60 New Jersey; Carlyn S. Buckler, Associate Professor Cornell University, School of Practice School of Integrative Plant Science, Chair of the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Diversity and Inclusion Committee; moderated by Tanya Osborne, Founder CannaDiva, LLC, Director of Community Engagement and Digital Production for Women Grow.
Master Session Workshop: Dispensaries
With the wave of legalization across the USA for medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis, owning a dispensary has become a desirable goal for many as it can be quite lucrative. This workshop went through the entire real-life experience of owning a dispensary. Attendees heard from east and west coast dispensary owners, retailers, and designers about getting a license and owning, maintaining, expanding, and selling a dispensary.
The workshop was moderated by Calvin Frye, Cannabis Pioneer and Entrepreneur, Founder Cloneville, while the speakers included: Faye Coleman, Founder/CEO, Pure Genesis; Nichelle Santos, Founder/CEO, Canna Coverage; Angela Wright, Founder/CEO, National Botanical Company; Neil Kaufman, Managing Member, Kaufman-McGowan, PLLC; Mitzi Keating, Citrin Cooperman; Harry Carpenter, Citrin Cooperman; Colleen Higgins, RPh, Pharmacist; Bob Kassoff, VP, Sales and Marketing, Wilson Safe Company; Norman Chevlin, Founder and CEO, Plant Your Financial Seed; Dario Boyce, Project Manager, Anderson Porter Design; Greg Miller, President of Retail, Curio Wellness.
Cannabis and Lifestyle
We were proud to provide a platform for several roundtables and sessions that highlighted living a healthy life with cannabis, as well as making good and responsible decisions when consuming cannabis. Roundtables on sustainability, health and wellness and cultivation were featured. The panelists included business owners, cultivators, industry experts, and technologists.
The sustainability session, Roundtable: Eco-Conscious Cannabis, discussed the important questions such as: How was your cannabis grown? Did it get produced, grown, harvested, extracted, packaged, stored and sold with sustainability and eco-safety in mind? Do you care and do you know about the safety standards and the supply chain of how that cannabis you bought was grown and how it was handled all the way through to sale for consumption?
Attendees heard from knowledgeable panelists about the importance of maintaining a sustainable environment: Matthew Broxterman, Director of Sales, Boulder Creek Technologies; Jason Thomas, Founding Partner, Precision Quality Compliance; Kyle Georges, VP Sales and Business Development, Maratek Environmental; George Stantchev, CEO, COMERG; moderated by Carl Cameron.
A Health & Wellness session, Roundtable: Living a Healthy Life with Cannabis, heard from business owners and supporters of a healthy lifestyle while incorporating cannabis. The discussions focused on regimens of infused products, edibles, food preparation, CBD oils, vaping and exercise.
Panelists included Jenny Argie, Founder and Owner, Jenny’s Home Baked Goods; Arnaud Dumas de Rauly, Co-Founder/CEO The Blinc Group; Rob Mejia, Adjunct Professor, Stockton University, Cannabis Studies Department; moderated by Christina DiGiovanni, Founder and CEO, The Emerald.
The session, Roundtable: Cultivation, highlighted important topics that must be considered in cultivation, such as artificial intelligence, genetics, quality control, and effective and intelligent grow methods.
Speakers included, Ian Seiferling, CEO, Adaviv; Calvin Frye, Founder, Cloneville; moderated by Gretchen Gailey, Chief Strategist, CWCBExpo.
Networking Events
Attendees, speakers, and exhibitors took part in networking events that allowed the business-building to continue after the show floor closed. CWCBExpo’s Cannabis Week, which ran from May 31 – June 5, allowed the New York business community to take part in numerous special events that sparked mind-share, education, fun, and business opportunities.
Congratulations to NORML and Curved Papers for another successful NORML FORML. Advocacy is an important part of our industry and this is always a wonderful event to kick-off CWCBExpo.
Our Networking Mixer, sponsored by Weedmaps, the Spleef after-party and the Industry Yacht Party were well attended events. CWCBExpo thanks all participants!
Thank you to our Sapphire Sponsor, and to our Networking Mixer, After-Party, Yacht Party and other sponsors: