Thank You, New York, For An Incredible First Year

What a year it’s been for The Travel Agency.

We were the third licensed Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) to open our doors in New York, on February 13th, 2023. We’ve accomplished so much since that first day, from serving more than 125,000 customers to creating 120 jobs to building partnerships with the people and places who make cannabis culture happen in our city. And we can’t wait to keep serving New York over the next 365 days.

It’s hard to believe how far we’ve come in our first year. We’re proud to be one of the leaders in New York’s legal cannabis market. It’s amazing to see the impact we’ve had. We are a testament to the success of the legal cannabis program in New York, and we cannot wait for another year of continued growth of the legal industry and all its benefits.

Highlights from The Travel Agency’s first year in operation

Let’s take a look back at an action-filled year.

Comedian Amy Sedaris served as a guest Travel Agent at our flagship location.

Comedian Sarah Silverman filmed a segment of The Daily Show at our store.

We’ve been an active participant in the New York City cannabis community, supporting a lengthy list of community-based events like the NYC Cannabis Parade & Rally, The Village Trip, NYC Pride, Affordable Art Fair, and the Revelry Block Party.

We held insightful, impactful, and fun events with our friends at Happy Munkey and Miss Grass.

And that’s just the highlight reel. Sign up for the Travel Club to get exclusive sneak peeks into what we have in store for the next 365 days.

A window into who’s buying what kinds of cannabis in New York

The diverse customer base of The Travel Agency spans five generations, from Gen Z to the Silent Generation. Our youngest customers are 21, while our oldest are 91. The oldest were born at the dawn of Prohibition, while the youngest never knew a world without some form of legal cannabis. That 70-year timespan is proof that accessible legal cannabis is for everyone.

Purchases from more than 125,000 visitors gave us an impressive body of data to show us which products New Yorkers enjoy the most. Consistent with an emerging market, this body of data shows that our travelers are more inclined to purchase edibles, vaporizers, and pre-rolls from a legal dispensary, as they see the benefits of additional safety regulations that cannot be found in illegal stores.

Learn how to spot a fake vape cart

Vaporizers were the best-selling product in our first year, making up just over 29% of revenue. The classic flower was not far behind, making up 28% of revenue. Edibles followed with 20%, then pre-rolls with 16.6%, and 6.1% of revenue came from products like concentrates, tinctures, topicals, accessories, and CBD items. It’s an unprecedented look into the New York cannabis market, and we’re proud to lead the way.

An impressive array of brands and products was present in the data, too. Sales represented nine distinct product categories, comprising 102 brands and more than 1,000 products. Those brands and products represent companies that represent the makeup of the city — woman-owned, Black-owned, and queer-owned brands are among the companies we’re proud to sell in our store. Our carefully curated and extensive portfolio resonates with our growing customer base.

Contributing to our community

Between our flagship location on East 13th and Broadway and our delivery offerings in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, cannabis sales at The Travel Agency generated approximately $5 million in tax revenue in New York State. We also created 120 jobs for New Yorkers building new careers in the cannabis industry.

Among the many highlights of The Travel Agency’s first year is our overarching partnership with The Doe Fund, which empowers individuals experiencing homelessness and provides support for reentry after incarceration. Financial distributions from The Travel Agency Union Square to The Doe Fund coincide with the nonprofit staffing key supportive services positions, including case managers, job coaches, and housing specialists; starting mindfulness and mental health care programs in the organization’s portfolio of transitional, affordable, and supportive housing; and exploration of innovative new job sector training in living wage and emerging industries.

Our partnership with The Doe Fund helps provide a platform for other organizations that look to the legal cannabis industry to repair the damage done by the failed War on Drugs. We continue to be committed to supporting marginalized groups who normally would not have access to economic opportunities in this new industry and helping to eradicate the stigma around this incredible plant while educating consumers about the benefits of consuming legal cannabis. This is a core part of The Travel Agency’s mission and will continue to be a core part of our mission going into our second year.