Blazing Sales for New York’s First Legal Weed Retailer

Housing Works Cannabis Co, the first adult-use cannabis dispensary in New York State under the CAURD license, has seen impressive sales in its first six months. Opening on December 29, 2022, the dispensary recorded an estimated $40,000 in sales within three hours. In the first month, sales reached over $1.6 million, and the total for the first six months is estimated to be $12 million. Conversion rates, sales, and customer retention remain strong, with up to 1,000 unique visitors on busy days, the company said in a statement.

Consumer trend insights from the company show that customers prioritize potency when making purchasing decisions, highlighting the need for more cannabis education. Sativa and sativa-leaning hybrid strains are preferred by both New Yorkers and tourists, and flower products are the top-selling category. Customers seeking edibles typically look for products promoting sleep and alleviating anxiety.

The dispensary recently added 200 new products to the menu, with seven social equity brands. However, challenges still exist for New York’s minority producers.

“There have been major improvements with the state’s product testing timeline, for example, but the feedback we still hear from some Black-owned brands is that there is not enough funding to get their products into the market,” said retail manager Sasha Nutgent.

Last month, Housing Works Cannabis Co introduced its first Black-owned brand, Brelixi, which is also woman- and queer-owned. The dispensary also offers other social equity brands such as Fat Nell (women-led), The Weekenders (BIPOC-owned and -led), as well as Flamer and Drew Martin (queer-owned).

Housing Works Cannabis was also the first legal cannabis delivery service in the state, and accounts for about 5-7% of sales. Serving select ZIP codes in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, the dispensary lets customers receive same-day and next-day delivery slots directly through their website.