They’re stocking up on bread, eggs, milk, and yes, weed.
With a snowstorm approaching, many cannabis enthusiasts rushed to licensed dispensaries in New York. Store owners and shoppers shared that shelves were quickly emptied as people prepared for the weather.
“I wanted to get my stuff before I’m stuck inside,” Jared Schroeder, a customer at the Stoop NYC on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, said during a phone call from the dispensary.
Schroeder mentioned he spent around $400 on a variety of products, including marijuana flower, pre-rolled joints, and extracts.
“If it snows, we’re all set,” he added.
Chris Kulian, co-founder of Stoop NYC, noted that sales surged by $8,000 compared to the same week last year.
“It’s like stocking up on eggs, bread, milk, and cannabis,” Kurian remarked. “Cannabis has really become a new essential.”
In Queens and Jersey City, sales at The Cannabis Place doubled in anticipation of the storm, according to CEO Osbert Orduna. He noted that their cannabis-infused chocolates, which are popular during winter, were nearly sold out.
“Our sales have shot up in both New York and New Jersey, for in-store and delivery,” Orduna explained. “This spike is definitely because of the storm. We’ve had to double our staff to keep up.”
Orduna placed restock orders early on Saturday and Sunday before their noon closing time, emphasizing that the safety of customers and staff was paramount.
Pablo Velez, owner of Flower Daddy in Williamsburg, stated that his customers were treating the cannabis shop like part of their grocery run.
“We’re on the grocery list now,” he said, noting increased foot traffic on Thursdays through Saturdays.
Velez observed that shoppers were buying flowering marijuana, e-cigarettes, and gummies to prepare for staying at home during the storm.
Flower Daddy planned to close on Sunday as the storm hit.
Since the legalization of recreational sales three years ago, New York has seen the opening of 578 licensed adult-use cannabis dispensaries, including 245 in New York City.
