The era of neon signs, cartoon characters, and exotic snacks will be a thing of the past in just a few short days for the New York cannabis market. With the absence of stoner posters and bubbly wordage comes New York’s Office of Cannabis Management, and it features a long list of regulations that eliminate the tacky corner stores you’ve come to know.
New York’s first legal recreational cannabis sales will begin with the opening of Housing Works on December 29. It’s a shop that will be filled with as many as 100 unique marijuana products, ranging from deliciously-crafted edibles to perfectly wrapped pre-rolls. Although you’ll find a list of euphoric products that are sure to send you to the clouds, it’s what you won’t find that has been the latest talk.
The New York Office of Cannabis Management has unveiled its strict list of regulations and those looking to snag their own piece of the cannabis market in New York will face grueling restrictions and hefty costs. Those seeking licenses will have to follow rules concerning location, security, and aesthetics. Once they have location and security locked in, the design of the shop is a whole other hurdle they’ll have to face. The days of slapping up a few neon signs, posters with high cartoon characters, and bubbly letters are a thing of the past. Instead of easily opening a classic corner store with the hippie-inspired starter kit are no longer, and a new era of boring sophistication has taken over.
This is New York Recreational Cannabis Sales in 2023…
No longer will you see bright colors, neon, cartoons, bubble-like or cartoon-like font, symbols, images, characters, phrases, toys, games, public figures, and terms like “candy” or “kandy”. Also banned are signs and even names depicting cannabis and cannabis products, alongside images or actions of smoking or vaping. The rules are deep, sure, but legal recreational cannabis in New York is now a thing—just without neon signs and cartoons.