For cannabis entrepreneur and New York City native, Vladimir Bautista, it all begins and ends with his neighborhood. You can call him the Mr. Rodgers of Harlem. His long, enviable career in the cannabis legacy space has given way to legal success, with two dispensaries opened last year in Manhattan and Brooklyn under his Happy Munkey brand. 

“I believe that things are going to go the way they’re supposed to go,” he says. “You ever heard that saying, ‘Man makes plans and God laughs?’”

151 Dykman St., New York, NY — recreational

Bautista grew up in Sugar Hill in a Dominican family, back when the community was mired in the crack epidemic of the 1990s—a far cry from its Columbia University affiliations now. He discovered cannabis as a consumer at a young age, taking those first puffs with his middle school friends.

“There was a lot of doom and gloom around,” he says. “It was helping me mentally compared to all the other substances. It just created good vibes and energy around me and my friends.”

Despite cannabis being much safer than other drugs on the market—heroin, crack, cocaine—it was harder to find. By 16, Bautistia realized there was a market gap, and figured he could be the one to fill it. 

“I remember having that ‘aha’, entrepreneur light bulb moment,” he says. “I’m gonna buy an ounce, and if it doesn’t sell, I’ll smoke it. I have everything to gain, nothing to lose, but this could be my lane.” His instincts proved correct. “After I purchased that ounce, I never had a job again.”

For years, Bautista serviced the city’s legacy market, scaling up his business and reputation. And, of course, fielding multiple arrests by the NYPD. The name Happy Munkey comes from his business partner, Ramon Reyes, whose spirit animal is a monkey. There’s also a story of the Hindu deity Hanuman, a monkey god, who ascended a mountain in search of healing herbs for the god Rama. Plus, it’s playful. In a city of gangsters, the idea of a happy, cheeky monkey feels welcoming. 

Legalization out west changed everything. As states like Colorado, Washington, and California launched adult-use markets, Bautista knew that Happy Munkey needed to switch gears. Reyes had traveled to Amsterdam and recognized the potential in safe, private spaces to light up and meet like-minded people.  He tapped a contact many other cannabis entrepreneurs in the city have met on their way to the legal market, International P. Through their network of contacts, they established an underground space for consumption events in 2017, and within two years Forbes dubbed the “Studio 54 of cannabis.”

Still, there was more growing to do. Before the COVID-19 pandemic would shutter their events arm, Bautista began attending cannabis conferences and festivals across the country, meeting industry legends like Steve DeAngelo and learning about the economics of the emerging business, like stocks.

“That was the moment of ‘there’s something here, this is coming to the East Coast,’” says Bautista, “when we [began] pursuing the legal cannabis market as a business. We understood that we were advocates, because we had a platform, we had influence.”

Bautista, Reyes, and Happy Munkey were instrumental in pushing for the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) and insisting on the bill’s social equity components. They mobilized their podcast, magazine, and merchandise while the city was under quarantine, and hosted an event at Wall Street’s Bobby Van Steakhouse for the first 4/20 post-legalization, in 2021.

As they waited for license approval, they continued hosting events that drew on the vast spectrum of the cannabis community, including an afterparty of the Van Gogh Immersive Experience and their 2022 symposium at Columbia University that featured scientists, entrepreneurs, and government officials. 

“We brought out a lot of big people from the industry—politicians, doctors, lawyers. We attracted a really eclectic crowd; I think we were the first ones in New York to bring Main Street to Wall Street, with the rapper sitting next to the politician, the billionaire sitting next to the gangster.”

They hope the same can manifest in their two legal stores, serving two major hubs of people in two boroughs. They emphasize customer service, situating customers within their neighborhoods, and a wide selection of brands like Kiva Confections, Rolling Green, To The Moon, and Lobo.

While they can’t open an adult-use version of their beloved lounge just yet, they see 2025 as an opportunity. And it’s an opportunity that, Bautista says, was fated to them.

“The irony is that I bought that ounce on Sherman Avenue in 1998. And now, 27 years later, we just opened our first licensed store around the corner from where I bought that first ounce.”

Who needs new weed shops? We do. Miami gets its first medical dispensary, New Mexico welcomes a massive cannabis superstore, and a Detroit rapper brings legal weed to 8 Mile. Here are the new dispensary openings across America this month.

Got a new shop? Put it on the map. Visit Leafly Success to advertise. 

Arizona

Ponderosa Dispensary— Tucson, AZ. Opened Jan. 18. Firstly, let’s start with the desert. Tuscon just got a little greener thanks to the arrival of Ponderosa Dispensary. Stocking over 20 premiere cannabis brands, Ponderosa aka the Pondy also scores bragging rights for having the largest selection of in-house brands Canamo Concentrates and Sonoran Roots available anywhere in Tucson. Other highlights include friendly, informed budtenders and a “full-sensory” shopping experience. 3008 N. Stone Ave, Tucson. 

California

Urbana Oakland— Oakland, CA. Opened Jan. 17. You’ll have to get your order of fries somewhere else as former burger joint Luke’s Taproom has now officially reopened as the latest outpost of Urbana’s chain of NorCal dispensaries. Specifically, the updated digs “preserve the industrial charm of the property while adding modern, welcoming touches” that include consumption lounges and a “vibrant calendar of events that celebrates local art, culture, and education.” 415 W Grand, Oakland.

Florida

Ayr Wellness—Miami, FL. Opened Jan. 10. It took long enough, but Miami’s first medical cannabis dispensary is now finally open. In the works with the City of Miami since 2016, Ayr Wellness has at last opened the chain’s 67^th location in the state. Offering a full menu of flower, vape carts, edibles, and more, representatives for Ayr shared their hope to cater to “underserved medical marijuana patients” at their Midtown store, which is located within a shopping district that draws heavy foot traffic. 3160 N. Miami Ave, Miami.

Maryland

The Forest—Baltimore, MD. Opened Jan. 18. Don’t mistake the trees for The Forest because both are welcome additions to the scene in Baltimore. Marking Maryland’s first vertically integrated social equity license to open shop, The Forest is African American and Latina majority-owned and plans to situate their business as a “holistic wellness experience with access to high-quality cannabis products” including concentrates, pre-rolls, and topicals. 3301 Boston St, Baltimore. 

Michigan

Fly Shifter Cannabis—Detroit, MI. Opened Jan. 11. Don’t tell Poppa Doc but Detroit’s 8 Mile has a new heavyweight in the form of Fly Shifter Cannabis from homegrown rapper and entrepreneur Lou “Big Shifter” Gram. Perks include a plethora of premium cannabis products, a Shifter’s Only Club providing loyalty rewards, and an ongoing commitment to supporting Detroit’s “local economy and cultural landscape.” 6220 8 Mile Rd, Detroit. 

Missouri

CODES—Kansas City, MO. Opened Jan. 18. Comedian and cannabis enthusiast/entrepreneur Jim Belushi was on hand to welcome Kansas City’s newest dispensary to the party. Billed as “one of the fastest-growing brands in Missouri’s cannabis industry,” CODES prides itself on offering premium cannabis products, including exclusive cultivars, edibles, and concentrates, designed to cater to a “broad spectrum of Kansas City’s diverse clientele.” 668 E Red Bridge Rd, Kansas City. 

New Jersey

Budzooka—Elizabeth, NJ. Opened Jan. 29. The proudly Hispanic-owned Budzooka Dispensary has officially opened in the home of a former bank in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Featuring a clean interior flecked with splashes of bright color, Budzooka also offers a “bud bar” where customers can see and smell the various types of cannabis flower available for sale. The shop’s menu also includes an extensive list of vapes, concentrates, edibles, and even a few MSO (multi-state operator) brands like Loud Labs and Nova Farms. 142 Broad St, Elizabeth.

New Mexico

Mango Cannabis—Sunland Park, NM. Opened Jan. 22. If there’s one thing New Mexico was missing, it’s a 9,000-square-foot cannabis superstore. Thankfully, Mango Cannabis has fixed the issue by opening the state’s largest dispensary (to date) last month. Capable of processing 2,000 to 3,0000 order per day, the Sunland Park location is set to carry over 3,000 SKUS (products) that include “the top [hundred] most popular brands in the state.” 1051 McNutt Road, Sunland Park. 

New York

Kaya Bliss— Brooklyn, NY. Opened Jan. 9. The new weed shops of New York keep coming. Once a hair salon, the confines of Brooklyn’s Kaya Bliss have a decidedly different vibe these days. Customers visiting Bay Ridge’s first licensed adult-use cannabis dispensary can look forward to walls decorated with murals, comprehensively trained budtenders, and over 400 products from more than 30 brands to choose from. Purchases can be made either at the registers or at conveniently located in-store kiosks. 8412 3rd Avenue, Brooklyn. 

The Herb Cave—Plattsburgh, NY. Opened Dec. 27. Northern New York scored a big win with the opening of the first woman-owned, licensed cannabis dispensary in the Plattsburgh region last month. With a menu featuring “a variety of craft cannabis products sourced from smaller farms and micro-businesses throughout New York State,” The Herb Cave prides itself as a “experienced, reliable, established” legacy business here to solve your cannabis needs. 19 State Rte 3, Plattsburgh. 

Pennsylvania

Terrapin Care Station—Bellefonte, PA. Opened Jan. 9. One year after Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the bill ushering in a new era of legal medical cannabis in Pennsylvania, independent medical cannabis grower and processor Terrapin has launched a store in Bellefonte. The site marks the first of three planned locations for Terrapin, including forthcoming stores in Lewisburg (Kelly Township) and Lock Haven (Woodward Township). Dates for the latter two stores remain yet to be announced but are expected soon. 205 Park Place, Bellefonte. 

In conclusion—it’s a tremendous time for medical and adult-use cannabis access. Just look at all these new weed shops near you. Did we miss any? Leave a comment with a new one.

Got a new shop? Get it on the map. Visit Leafly Success to advertise.

Smoking a joint with your siblings is a sacred teenage tradition, something that bonds you across clouds of smoke—a furtive secret you all keep from your parents. For the five Savocchi siblings, it seemed an innocent enough past time during their childhood in Queens. But it was also prequel to their eventual entry into New York’ adult-use cannabis industry. 

Now, on the streets of Tribeca, locals, tourists, and medical patients alike can stop and smell both the literal and cannabis flowers of Alto dispensary. It’s quite literally a family affair—siblings André, Stephanie, Nicole, Daniela, and Sarah, and parents Guido and Sandra man the ship and tend the bar, even as most of them juggle day jobs (for now).

“It’s been a wild ride to get here.”

Nicole Savocchi

The five siblings smoked together, but their parents were hip too—it was Guido’s cannabis arrest in the ‘90s that qualified them for the license, though the interest had been there for years. Sandra was the first to alert the family after hearing about the passing of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in 2021. 

“I heard it on the radio going to work,” she says. “When I heard that this program was available, I’m like, ‘this is for us.’ Right away, I phoned André, and I said, ‘I just heard this, this and this. It’s going to be a difficult process I hear, but we have to do it.’ And he ran with it.”

André is the baby of the family, but he’s the driving force behind Alto. He’d delved the deepest into the cannabis world, including research in other states, and is the only sibling full-time at the store. During its intense renovation, he donned a white hazmat suit and got his hands dirty.

He also curates the store’s menu, which includes multi-state brands like Wyld Gummies, Kiva Confections, and Select vapes as well as local hits like MFNY concentrates and Umami flower. The menu has to reflect all the multitudes of New York, just like the shop’s environment.

Customers waltzing through Tribeca’s artsy alleys won’t find anyone not named Savocchi on the floor by design. It should feel like coming to your cool family friend’s house, whether you want something to liven up your evening or have a need for something medicinal.

If you don’t partake, you can still buy the other kind of flowers in the front of the store. Alto’s Tribeca shop also has a second-floor space that will one day (Office of Cannabis Management permitting) become an events and consumption lounge.

Until then, if you’re in Tribeca, why not stop in and smell the flowers?

“I think when we’re all together, we’re not workers. We all have that level of dedication. People walk in, they’re like, ‘Oh, this feels so nice here. This definitely feels like a family vibe,’ even before they even know we’re family. They can actually feel that energy.”

Stephanie Savocchi