Cannabis has been part of human culture for thousands of years, woven into rituals, medicine, recreation, and trade across civilizations. While its roots can be traced back to ancient China, India, and the Middle East, the plant's global journey has been shaped by differing laws, cultural practices, and social attitudes. In today's world, cannabis is both one of the most controversial and celebrated plants-criminalized in some regions, normalized in others, and increasingly legalized for medicinal or recreational use.
Lee is best known as the founder of the world's first cannabis training school, Oaksterdam University, and for financing and spearheading California's Proposition 19 in 2010, the first attempt to legalize cannabis for all adults over 21 in the modern era. Although the ballot measure failed by a slim margin, the election led to successful initiatives in 2012 in Colorado and Washington, setting off a wave of legislative change throughout the United States.
In March 2021, the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) was signed into law, heralded as a bold step toward cannabis justice and equity in New York State. The legislation not only legalized adult-use marijuana-it also promised to right decades of wrongs by expunging criminal records for low-level cannabis offenses. For tens of thousands of New Yorkers, that promise has been fulfilled. But for others, particularly those with felony convictions, the road to redemption remains blocked by a fractured and politicized legal system.
New York has always had a magnetic pull - from Broadway to bodegas, it's a place where innovation and culture collide. Now, with the legalization of adult-use cannabis, the state is poised to become a global weed tourism destination. But this transformation isn't happening overnight. It's complex, exciting, and full of contradictions. As travelers grow more curious about cannabis experiences beyond California and Colorado, New York's blend of urban energy, cultural depth, and diverse consumer base gives it a unique edge.
New York's legal weed market in 2025 is no longer just about access-it's about choice, intention, and identity. What began as a slow rollout marred by regulatory confusion and legacy gray-market inertia is now a fully-fledged economic engine reshaping how consumers think about, purchase, and consume weed. With over 100 licensed dispensaries now open across the state, data shows a clear shift: buyers are no longer simply looking for high THC or the best price-
According to a report from Clever Offers, states with legalized recreational cannabis have seen significantly higher home value appreciation than those that haven't, with a difference of $60,327 since 2009.