One block north from Barclays Center, a new shop is getting its final touches.
The only signage so far is its name on the glass door, Citiva. But make no mistake; Brooklyn’s first marijuana dispensary is open for business.
“I think the patients and the people of Brooklyn have been waiting quite a long time for access. So we’re just excited to be a part of it and we are also very excited to finally be open in this large borough,” Amy Holdener, VP of Operations said.
While this 2,000 square foot store has plenty of Brooklyn merchandise and artwork on display, it doesn’t have any of its cannabis products out for people to touch, adhering to NY state law. Rather, the dispensary operates similar to a pharmacy.
“The public can come in. We could have you come in and learn. Meet with our pharmacist, meet with our medical director, meet with our team, learn about the program, learn about our products and see what’s really right for you,” Holdener continued.
There are pictures of the medical marijuana offerings, powders and oils, capsules and vaporizers. Items come in child proof packaging as required by the state. And there are interactive screens on a table to educate customers.
“They will actually walk you through different parts of the cannabis plant if you want to do a little bit more learning about cannabis in general, how it’s grown, how we cultivate the different strains, properties and principles of the plant,” Holdener said.
This is the seventh medical marijuana dispensary to open in the city and the first of four Citiva that will operate in the state. The borough will eventually get a second dispensary operated by Valley Agriceuticals. A spokesman tells NY1 it is not yet prepared to say where that Brooklyn site will be.
“There are regulations as to how close you could be to certain locations such as church or school or synagogues. So you work within that framework and then you need a community and a landlord who is also supportive of your use of what you’re trying to do,” Holdener said.
The store is open seven days a week, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
To promote its opening, Citiva is offering 25 percent off its products all month.