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SEPTEMBER 4, 2024 – NEW YORK, NY Elite Cannabis on Bell Boulevard in Bayside, NY, has been open since June of 2024. The legal dispensary has already amassed loyal regulars among its dozens of daily customers who are looking for an elevated experience in their community.
A Community-Driven Vision
Owner, Carson Grant, has called Queens his home for nearly four decades since he immigrated from Jamaica in 1987. As someone who was disproportionately targeted by police for marijuana charges during the early 2000s, opening a dispensary with the help of the state marked a full-circle moment.
The dispensary, located at 42-15 Bell Boulevard, is 9,500 square feet and is one of the largest legal dispensaries in NY state to open in the past two years. The Bayside store carries a range of marijuana flowers, edibles, vapes, and tinctures cultivated in farms across NY that adhere to the rigorous testing process set by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management.
“I wanted something for grown people,” said Grant, who envisioned a clean and modern space where customers would feel comfortable and receive optimal customer service from Elite’s informed team of budtenders and managers.
From Injustice to Empowerment
Grant was arrested on multiple occasions for possession and distribution. But after his final arrest in 2010, he knew that he had to focus on earning a legal income as a single father for the sake of his daughters.
“That was the injustice that was done to certain communities,” said Grant, recalling police circling Jamaica, Queens, his longtime neighborhood, to make arrests. “That wasn’t a good feeling.”
For over a decade, he successfully ran an Amazon storefront that sold collectible toys depicting film characters such as Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers.
In 2022, he heard about an opportunity to get back into the cannabis business legally through a program seeking to bring justice to individuals personally affected by the War on Drugs.
Mr. Grant qualified to receive a CUARD license from the NYS Office of Cannabis Management due to his past drug arrests, but also because he met other requirements such as running a profitable business for over two years. He applied for a license to sell in September 2022, and two months later, he was approved.
NY Elite Cannabis – Thriving with a Community Focus
“Bayside is a very bustling community. It is the perfect location that has regular foot traffic that is generated by restaurants and a nightlife scene,” says Carson.
NY Elite’s customers range from ages 21 to 78, with many of the morning regulars in their 60’s and 70’s. “Our older customers prefer gummies over smoke products. Our goal is to offer a variety of products that are tailored to our customers,” adds Carson.
In the coming months, NY Elite will offer educational seminars in their two classrooms located behind the dispensary. “We want people to be aware of the differences between legal dispensaries and smoke shops and why it’s important to buy legal,” says Carson.
The business is off to a great start, and the dispensary is thriving. “NY Elite Cannabis is practically my second home now. We are a family-owned business; my two daughters and my wife work with me, and that is a dream come true,” says Carson.
Carson and his team are building the business by putting the community first. The team consists of Bayside locals. The dispensary will be hosting multiple events throughout the summer.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling; sometimes it doesn’t feel real. When I step back and look around, I take a deep breath and keep moving forward,” says Carson.
Your Flower and Community Connection
