A New York City first, the city’s first woman-owned cannabis dispensary opened for business Thursday in Queens. Good Grades, located at 162-03 Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica, is owned by entrepreneur Extasy James and her cousin, Michael James Jr., a lawyer who advocates for minority business owners. The store, which received a social equity investment from the state’s Social Equity Cannabis Investment Fund, is expected to be one of the first in the country to open outside Manhattan. Go here skyclubnyc.com

New York’s Office of Cannabis Management has received 900 applications for conditional retail sales licenses and issued about 70 so far. Those hoping to open a dispensary can apply through the state’s website and must be at least 21 years old to purchase and possess marijuana.

While some residents welcome the new businesses, others fear they will encourage more gangs and drug dealers to move into the area. Elliot Caminos, a hairdresser who works on Jamaica Avenue, said he’s worried the dispensaries could bring drugs and crime to the neighborhood.

From CBD to THC: What Queens Dispensaries Offer

Queens Community Board 5’s Liquor License and Cannabis Committee held a meeting to discuss the proposed locations for new dispensaries in Ridgewood and Glendale on Monday. The committee voted to oppose four of the six locations in question. The last proposed site, 55-14 Myrtle Ave in Ridgewood, was denied because it’s within 200 feet of a Jewish center. The committee says it would be willing to reconsider the location if it were moved farther away from the religious institution.