On its website, Empire proclaims itself the city’s first cannabis dispensary. But owners of the small business say they’re not actually selling cannabis, technically speaking — they’re selling club memberships.
“If you intend to buy any THC products, you will need to be a member of the club, either daily or monthly,” says Lenore Elfand, Empire’s co-owner. The club offers a daily pass for $15 and a monthly membership for $35 a month.
Empire operates as a not-for-profit membership club in order to tiptoe around state law, which currently allows for the possession and use of marijuana, but not its sale.
That’s because the state must first develop a regulatory framework for the industry and issue licenses, a process that’s expected to take up to a year, if not longer. The state’s Office of Cannabis Management, formed last year, is currently holding a series of virtual public forums as it draws up regulations.
In the meantime, entrepreneurs like Elfand have stepped into the void to meet the burgeoning demand. Elfand opened Empire’s flagship location in Chelsea in September, and expanded to a second location on the Lower East Side earlier this month. The club will soon deliver to some Manhattan zip codes. [Read More @ Spectrum News NY1]
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