NY Cannabis Dispensary Series: Urban Leaf- A High Note in the City

From Seed to Success:

Excerpted from Politics NY:

Joseph Abramov, owner of Urban Leaf Dispensary, situated mere minutes from Grand Central Station, possesses a multifaceted background in cannabis and real estate. Originating as a legacy cannabis dealer, he later flourished as a real estate investor and developer, leading Keter Management LLC to success.

 With a keen focus on revitalizing the New York cannabis scene, Joseph aims to utilize his varied expertise and entrepreneurial drive to pioneer innovation and advancement within the industry.

Excerpted from Honey Suckle Magazine:

Explaining that he’s been obsessed with cannabis since he was a teenager, the advocate recalls his fascination with the plant’s versatility, particularly as he learned more about its historical significance across different eras and social communities. The “blend of cultural depth,” as he puts it, truly lit a fire within.

The spark of curiosity led Abramov, at just 19, to launch a delivery service in Queens and get involved in a New York cannabis scene that was much more rough-and-tumble than today…

 Even though Abramov closed his delivery service after what he describes as multiple instances of getting into trouble with the law, choosing to build a successful real estate business, his love for the plant endured. 

The Green Light:

Excerpted from New York Cannabis Insider:

“While I was involved in the legacy market, I knew New York would eventually have a strong and important legal cannabis industry and I eagerly awaited its legalization. When licenses were announced for those with justice involvement, I applied immediately, realizing that my prior experience in cannabis had a purpose all along.”

Excerpted from Our Town NY:

 As a licensee under the state Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program, which granted first dibs on dispensary licenses to those convicted of marijuana-related offenses and their immediate family members, he’s among the first wave of legal weed entrepreneurs in New York City. But the program’s rollout has been less than ideal, hampered by lawsuits, a flood of unlicensed smoke shops, and the hefty costs of getting a business off the ground.

“It’s been a long journey. It’s been a difficult one,” he said. But, he continued, “I’m happy to be here right now.”

Cracking Down on Cannabis:

Excerpted from New York Business Journal:

"Surrounded by illicit cannabis stores that sell untested and potentially unsafe products to customers without verifying age, Urban Leaf is the only dispensary in the area to offer tested and exclusively New York-grown and processed cannabis in a safe and age-restricted environment," the dispensary said in a statement.

Excerpted from New York Times:

For some licensed cannabis dispensaries, enforcement has been a boon.

Joseph Abramov, the owner of Urban Leaf in Midtown, said that sales had risen between $500 and $700 a day after the authorities shut down shops near him.

“Every dispensary would see a spike if they shut these down,” he said.

High Hurdles:

Excerpted from Commercial Observer:

Products are displayed in two locked glass cases that light up…

A little entrepreneurial spirit helped Abramov find these products on a tight budget since “everything is funded from our own money,” he said. And dispensary owners have to be prepared to barter or else face markups those in the industry sometimes refer to as the “green tax.”

But Abramov, who previously launched his own real estate company called Keter Management, took it in stride.