For 420-friendly folks wanting to visit NYC, the time is now. New York approved adult-use cannabis in March 2021 after the Marihuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA) was signed into law, making it the 15th state to legalize. Since then, it's taken nearly two years to get the recreational sales market up and running, with Manhattan's first licensed dispensary opening as recently as December 29, 2022.
However, during the two-year sales purgatory, a Wild East of weed has sprung up in NYC, with entrepreneurs taking advantage of the confusion around legalization — and the subsequent moratorium on police crackdowns — by opening unlicensed smoke shops, mobile dispensaries, and pot stores that embrace “the gifting loophole," which is where you buy something like a juice and are gifted weed in exchange.
Right now, these businesses are not legally allowed to sell cannabis, but the NYPD has been told not to interfere — at least temporarily. But, there has been a recent legislative proposal that will address this type of illegal exchange, though it hasn't yet been signed into law by the governor, and at the moment, it seems like every block has a store that offers cannabis products — often in plain sight.
Concurrently, a swath of questionably legal cannabis speakeasies, infused dinner series, and even weed co-working spaces have opened, shepherding the city into an era that will be remembered as “The Blazin' 20s."
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A guide to weed in New York City
New York's legal market is just in its infancy, though it's expected to generate over $350 million in tax revenue and billions in sales annually in due time. While many aspects of the industry are just getting on-boarded in the state — such as cannabis delivery, legit social consumption venues, and more than just a handful of licensed dispensaries — spring and summer 2023 will be the first time out-of-towners can truly embrace the new landscape in all its glory.
To help elevate your next visit, Weedmaps compiled a tourist's guide to weed in New York.
Below, read about the current laws, find myriad places you can purchase weed and where you can safely consume it, and see what you should do once you're nice and stoned. Remember that the market is still evolving, so updates will be added to this guide as changes become official.
Photo by Zach Sokol
A primer on New York cannabis laws
As stated in the MRTA legalization bill, adults 21 and older can purchase cannabis and possess up to three ounces of flower and 24 grams of concentrate for personal use. New Yorkers with past cannabis convictions will have their records expunged, which is essential as Manhattan was once the epicenter of stop-and-frisk and racially-biased policing.
Where are you allowed to smoke in NYC?
New Yorkers can consume cannabis wherever tobacco is allowed, specified in the state's smoke-free air laws, which means sidewalks are fair game, but public parks are not. Don't even think about smoking near a hospital or school, or else risk a civil summons and fine.
Cannabis use is not allowed in cars or on public transportation, including train platforms, nor within outdoor dining enclosures. However, some restaurants and bars are lax and will tolerate consumption in their designated smoking areas.
Currently, most hotels forbid smoking whether cannabis or otherwise, and use within Airbnbs is up to the host's discretion. Some hotels do offer CBD products in their mini-bars, such as The Williamsburg Hotel and Ace Hotel, though you still won't be able to light up inside your suite.
The state approved cannabis delivery and dispensary drive-thru windows, home grows for personal use, and social consumption lounges, though these regulations have not been implemented quite yet. Any place that currently allows on-site consumption has done so preemptively from a legal perspective, though that hasn't stopped many underground operations from embracing the practice and opening smoking lounges and canna-clubhouses.
At the retail level, cannabis products have a 13% sales tax, as well as an excise tax based on milligrams of THC. Dispensaries are restricted from giving away products — which also means the “gifting loophole" isn't really a loophole; it's illegal — and they cannot advertise discounts, rewards systems, loyalty programs, or call products “organic" or “craft." Further, employees and customers cannot consume cannabis on dispensary premises.
For the curious, find out more about NY's dispensary regulations.
Photo by Zach Sokol
Where to find legal dispensaries in NYC
As of early March 2023, just a few licensed dispensaries are open for business in New York State, though many more are on the way.
In New York City, three are open: the nonprofit Housing Works on Broadway, Union Square Travel Agency in partnership with nonprofit The DOE Fund, and Smacked Village on Bleecker Street near Washington Square Park. Upstate, there's William Jane in Ithaca. The dispensaries have a limited number of products for sale right now, but that, too, will change. Expect to spend approximately $45 - 70 for an eighth of flower, including tax.
The state has granted 66 provisional licenses so far, called a Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary License (CAURD), and nonprofit groups were prioritized. More dispensaries are expected to cut their ribbons by 4/20, such as Gotham and Good Grades.
At the beginning of March, the Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management stated that they will expand the number of organizations who receive a CAURD license from 150 to 300, which will support New York's Seeding Opportunity initiative, an effort to give a leg up to victims of prohibition, as well as non-profits focused on supporting formerly incarcerated people.
The state has also emphasized its commitment to supporting social equity applicants, but so far, there have been wide-ranging criticisms of the public-private $200 million New York State Social Equity Cannabis Fund, which supposedly has yet to dole out any money to hopeful cannabis entrepreneurs.
Noted above, the licensed retail market is nascent, but there are countless businesses selling weed anyway. These operations offer products that are untaxed and unregulated, so consume at your own risk. Some of them do have excellent weed, and many of these “legacy" businesses want to enter the legal market, though the state hasn't enacted a plan for transitional licenses. There have been informal proposals, however.
There's also Empire Cannabis Club and its half-dozen dispensaries spread across Manhattan and Brooklyn. These shops haven't officially received a license to sell weed, but owner Jonathan Elfand claims he's not in violation of the MRTA. According to his lawyers, Empire is a non-profit club that sells cannabis at cost; the businesses make money by charging a membership fee before visitors can procure anything inside. It's unclear if the state agrees, or if Empire will be grandfathered into the licensed marketplace, but it's one of the few dispensary chains that walk a tightrope between legal and illegal, as compared to just plain illegal.
It's also worth mentioning that there are a number of hemp, CBD, and other plant-medicine shops open throughout the city, though they do not sell products with THC in them. A few worth checking out include The Alchemist Kitchen in Soho, Hemped NYC in the Village, and Natural Releaf in the Upper East Side.
Photo by Zach Sokol
Where to consume cannabis in NYC
Now that you know where to grip the good stuff, let's highlight some interesting places to consume that will make your NYC visit memorable.
Note: Anyone advertising “cannabis tours" in New York should make you raise an eyebrow. The market is just blooming, and these hucksters will probably only take you to a few unlicensed dispensaries. We do not recommend any 420 tour guides quite yet.
- Fortune World: This cozy, clandestine art book store and pop-up space is underground in a basement space on the Lower East Side. Fortune World may or may not stock the best, most affordable flower in downtown Manhattan, as well as allow visitors to light up while perusing rare texts on fashion, drugs, graffiti, hardcore, the occult, and other subcultures. It also hosts readings, vintage clothing markets, and other intimate events, with each gathering often blanketed in a cloud of sweet haze. Fortune World does not publicize its address, but you can send a direct message over Instagram to get the specs.
- St.ned Pizza: For a green-friendly dining experience, visit one of the social consumption establishments run by the infamous Pizza Pusha — aka Chris Barrett, who makes the best THC-laden slice in NYC. There are two St.ned Pizza locations in Manhattan right now — an infused-pizza restaurant in the East Village, and a weed nightclub and speakeasy in the Lower East Side, though neither are fully licensed yet. For $140, guests are offered a three-course infused meal, unlimited cannabis cocktails, live music, and more. Plus, it's BYOC and there's a dispensary inside, so you can smoke as much as your heart desires while munching on pot-filled pies.
- Astor Club / Certz Lounge: Astor Club and Certz Lounge are two of the more prominent cannabis speakeasy-style cannabis clubs in the city, with the former in the Lower East Side and the latter in Midtown. Both are unlicensed, yet they may or may not sell premium cannabis products and allow on-site consumption. The two venues regularly throw events and parties with heavy-hitters from the cannabis industry, as evinced when Berner visited each in his doc on NYC cannabis. To gain entrance, you'll have to find the addresses yourself, as well as pay a membership fee.
- La Fleur Cafe: This discreet coffee shop near Tompkins Square Park in the East Village has a hidden cannabis dispensary and consumption lounge in the back behind a fake wall. After making a purchase, visitors are often given a complimentary coffee, which they can enjoy alongside their cannabis at tables equipped with ashtrays and lighters. The product is affordable, and the vibe is reminiscent of Amsterdam's coffee shops from yesteryear.
- Work n' Roll: A private co-working space in Chelsea that allows on-site consumption, as well as offers yoga classes, growing workshops, and networking events. Great if you have some work to bang out on your NYC visit but still want to keep the mood high and mighty.
- Café Cannal: This femme-run Chinatown spot claims to be the city's first legit cannabis cafe, though it only offers CBD products such as CBD-infused pastries and coffee. It's a lovely environment, with an outdoor sesh spot that's ideal for people watching on busy Canal Street.
- 99th Floor / High Garden: Two semi-underground infused dinner series featuring multi-course culinary extravaganzas where you can try everything from weed crudo and scallops to infused duck tamales and canna-cocktails. Both the 99th Floor and High Garden dinner series were featured in a recent New York Times story, so they're not that secret. Still, we recommend reaching out for a reservation as early as possible — these dank dinners sell out fast.
Photo by Zach Sokol
Things to do while stoned in NYC
While most activities in NYC are greatly enhanced with a side of weed, we've compiled a list of some iconic and nuanced establishments that are worth a visit, whether you're baked or not.
This list could be endless, so we focused on places with strong sensory vibes that won't crush your wallet. We also skipped restaurant recommendations, as that could be a full article in and of itself. For food suggestions, we suggest the New York Magazine series “The Year I Ate New York".
- THC NYC, aka The House of Cannabis: Expected to open in the first half of 2023, THC NYC will soon be the cannabis equivalent of the Museum of Ice Cream. Though details are sparse right now, this Soho museum describes itself as “the first-ever immersive destination exploring cannabis culture through a multi-sensory, transportive experience." We look forward to checking this one out, especially as Empire Cannabis is opening another location right across the street, which could serve as something like a ganja gift shop for museum-goers.
- Dream House: This permanent sound and light installation, created by experimental composers La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela, is the perfect spot to have a meditative moment or hide from the weather when out and about lower Manhattan. For a small donation, visitors can spend as little or as much time as they'd like in the carpeted multimedia environment, which features particular sound fields that change in pitch as you move around the space. Plus, it's open until midnight, so you can have a heady, sensory-lifting nightcap.
- Wall Street Baths: A classic Russian establishment in the Financial District offering steam rooms, ice baths, schvitz rooms, an Olympic-sized pool, and a restaurant across its two floors. Not only can you order infused vodka and beer alongside your pierogis, but there's a “smoking room" that doesn't specify what is or isn't allowed to be consumed inside. Expect to see young Ruskis rolling exotic weed into Backwoods in between cold plunges.
- O'Flaherty's: The best, most punk art gallery in NYC. Expect anything from group shows featuring over 1,000 artists or performers who will paint your portrait using butt plug brushes to animatronic monkey robots and faithful recreations of “exotic snax" shops. Jamian Juliano-Villani, one of the founders, often allows smoking inside, and you never know when an exhibition will turn into an all-out party.
- The Lot Radio: A very mellow radio station on the Williamsburg/Greenpoint border that invites local DJs and visiting superstars alike to spin. The Lot offers coffee, snacks, beer, and wine, and its outdoor seating and picnic tables practically scream, “Enjoy a joint while listening to some killer house tracks."
- Nowadays: One of Brooklyn's best dance clubs, featuring a plant-filled indoor venue and sprawling outdoor space equipped with hammocks, picnic tables, and a robust bar menu. “Nowies," as locals jokingly call it, books both hometown favorites and Dekmantel headliners, and the parties often go past 4 AM — and occasionally, 24 hours straight.
- The Gutter: Live like Lebowski and visit the chill bowling establishment at either its Williamsburg or Lower East Side location. Good beer, fried food, and conveniently located near lots of other dope stuff. No candlepin(ners) here, though. This is classic 10-pin bowling.
- Botanical Gardens: What's better than looking at flowers after consuming some flower? NYC has two botanical gardens: one in Brooklyn near Prospect Park and one in the Bronx. They're essentially sprawling parks full of gorgeous plants, and they aren't too crowded since there's an entree fee. Highly recommended for psychedelics aficionados.
- Greenwood Cemetery: This is the best cemetery-cum-public-park in NYC if you ask us, as the sprawling graveyard is approximately the same size as Prospect Park, but is always fairly quiet. It's a solemn, beautiful space full of small ponds, trees, and dozens of memorable tombstones and mausoleums. Famous gravesites include Leonard Bernstein, Boss Tweed, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Samuel F. B. Morse, and many notable mobsters.
Photo by Zach Sokol
FAQs about NYC weed tourism
Now that we've offered a preliminary guide on how weed-friendly tourists should embrace the greatest city in the world, we're going to reiterate some answers to the questions new visitors regularly ask. For more information, review the state's own cannabis fact pages here and here.
Is recreational weed legal in New York City?
Yes. Adults 21 and older can purchase, possess, and consume cannabis.
What is the legal age for purchasing and consuming weed in NYC?
You have to be 21 or older to purchase weed in NYC. Bring your license, ID, or passport to gain entrance to any licensed dispensary.
Can tourists purchase and consume weed in NYC?
Yes. You do not have to be a resident of New York to purchase cannabis.
Are there designated smoking areas for weed in NYC?
New Yorkers are allowed to consume cannabis wherever tobacco is allowed, specified in the state's smoke-free air laws.
Are there restrictions on the amount of weed I can purchase or possess in NYC?
As stated in the MRTA legalization bill, adults 21 and older can purchase and possess up to three ounces of flower and 24 grams of concentrate for personal use.
Can I bring weed with me on public transportation in NYC?
Yes, but you cannot consume it on public transportation, including train platforms. Be mindful of whipping out your stash on subways, as there could be minors (or police) nearby.
Are there any events focused on weed in New York City?
Plenty! There is no dedicated events calendar, so you'll have to keep your eyes peeled, particularly on Instagram, where weed events get promoted. Expect tons of activity on 4/20, including a party that Empire Cannabis is hosting at Terminal 5, as well as the annual smoke show that goes down in Washington Square Park on the highest of high holidaze.
