New York State's first woman-owned cannabis dispensary opens in Queens
JAMAICA, Queens (WABC) -- New York State's first woman-owned cannabis dispensary opened on Thursday.
The Queens dispensary called "Good Grades" is owned by Extasy James and her cousin, Michael James Jr.
Good Grades is the first city dispensary to open outside of Manhattan.
Extasy shared her excitement about opening her business.
"I am thrilled to be opening the doors of Good Grades, the very first dispensary in Queens, New York," James said. "We are incredibly passionate about providing greater access to cannabis and breaking down the barriers that prevent so many people, especially those from marginalized communities, from experiencing the benefits of this amazing plant."
DASNY President and CEO Reuben McDaniel III said, "As we open the first dispensary in Queens, we continue to affirm New York's commitment to address deeply embedded historical injustices and to create new opportunities to foster intergenerational wealth for those most impacted by disproportionate enforcement of cannabis prohibition. I'm grateful for Governor Hochul's leadership, the extraordinary support this program has had from the Legislature, and work of the Fund's leadership, all of whom have helped us continue our progress on this important initiative."
"Jamaica, Queens is now a landmark in the cannabis industry, as the first dispensary in Queens to open its doors. I could not be more excited about the opportunity and great responsibility to bring this to our hometown for the first time. This new endeavor is a significant milestone for our family, hometown, and women in New York. In addition to Governor Hochul, DASNY, the Cannabis Control Board, OCM, and Fund, we would also like to thank the numerous support teams that have helped us reach this milestone," Michael James, Jr. said.
The store's launch is being supported by the New York State Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund. The initial opening is as a pop-up in the short term as a way of generating business. The first sales will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday.
The business is then expected to close for construction to reopen in the long term.
READ MORE | Manhattan's 3rd legal marijuana dispensary opens amid NYC crackdown
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