We went inside Manhattan's newest luxury marijuana dispensary on Fifth Avenue - and it's stunning

MedMen, weed dispensary, New York City

Sarah Jacobs/Business Insider

Daniel Yi, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications, MedMen

MedMen, a cannabis retail company that operates a chain of slick, high-end marijuana dispensaries in California and Nevada (and now New York) has opened a new flagship store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue - just in time for 420.

It's a major bet on the future of marijuana legalization in New York. And contrary to what you might expect, being inside the store is a high-end retail experience.
Advertisement
Take a look inside:
{{}}

MedMen's flagship store, is situated on one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. It's just down the street from Barneys.

MedMen's flagship store, is situated on one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. It's just down the street from Barneys.

The store looks more like a sleek Apple store than what you might expect from a dispensary.

The store looks more like a sleek Apple store than what you might expect from a dispensary.
Advertisement

The space is decorated to evoke a high-end experience, throwing the "stoner" stereotype out the window.

The space is decorated to evoke a high-end experience, throwing the "stoner" stereotype out the window.

"We want the store to show our vision of the future for cannabis." Daniel Yi, a senior vice president at MedMen, told Business Insider.

"We want the store to show our vision of the future for cannabis." Daniel Yi, a senior vice president at MedMen, told Business Insider.
Advertisement

Customers can order from screens, which give detailed information about what each product contains. You can click on the individual products to see the breakdown of what they contain (like THC and CBD, the active ingredients in marijuana), and where they are sourced from.

Customers can order from screens, which give detailed information about what each product contains. You can click on the individual products to see the breakdown of what they contain (like THC and CBD, the active ingredients in marijuana), and where they are sourced from.

The store is peppered with helpful signs to help customers navigate.

The store is peppered with helpful signs to help customers navigate.
Advertisement

And friendly red-shirted employees are also around to lend a hand.

And friendly red-shirted employees are also around to lend a hand.

Because recreational marijuana is not yet legal in New York, MedMen's Fifth Avenue store caters only to the medical market.

Because recreational marijuana is not yet legal in New York, MedMen's Fifth Avenue store caters only to the medical market.
Advertisement

The store will sell only what's allowed under New York's restrictive laws. That means it will offer three main product lines to licensed medical marijuana users: Tinctures, gel caps, and vaporizer pens.

The store will sell only what's allowed under New York's restrictive laws. That means it will offer three main product lines to licensed medical marijuana users: Tinctures, gel caps, and vaporizer pens.

MedMen works with cultivators and producers to bring high quality products into its stores. These are drops, which contain varying concentrations of THC and CBD. You can mix them in with food, drinks, or place directly under your tongue for the desired effect.

MedMen works with cultivators and producers to bring high quality products into its stores. These are drops, which contain varying concentrations of THC and CBD. You can mix them in with food, drinks, or place directly under your tongue for the desired effect.
Advertisement

And naturally, MedMen offers a whole range of vaporizer pens that the company claims can produce effects from "calming" to "invigorating."

And naturally, MedMen offers a whole range of vaporizer pens that the company claims can produce effects from "calming" to "invigorating."

These LuxLyte vaporizer pens cost $86 in the New York Store. In MedMen's downtown Los Angeles store, a disposable vaporizer pen containing an equivalent 500mg of marijuana extract costs as little as $35.

The LuxLyte pens offered in MedMen's New York store are geared toward the medical market and are more high-end than the average disposable vape.

The store also offers marijuana concentrates in gel-cap form, for patients that don't want to inhale or don't like the taste.

The store also offers marijuana concentrates in gel-cap form, for patients that don't want to inhale or don't like the taste.
Advertisement

Though only registered medical marijuana patients can purchase products containing marijuana at the store, anyone can come in off the street and check out the space.

Though only registered medical marijuana patients can purchase products containing marijuana at the store, anyone can come in off the street and check out the space.

"That's a huge thing for us, in terms of educating the general population and trying to take the stigma out," Yi said.

"That's a huge thing for us, in terms of educating the general population and trying to take the stigma out," Yi said.
Advertisement

Like any other venture-backed startup, they have tons of swag.

Like any other venture-backed startup, they have tons of swag.

By pushing for marijuana legalization in New York, MedMen CEO Adam Bierman saif "we're contributing to making the world a happier, healthier, and safer place," at an event celebrating the store's opening.

By pushing for marijuana legalization in New York, MedMen CEO Adam Bierman saif "we're contributing to making the world a happier, healthier, and safer place," at an event celebrating the store's opening.
Advertisement

It's a new vision for marijuana — miles away from Cheech and Chong.

It's a new vision for marijuana — miles away from Cheech and Chong.
Next StoryWhy eating fat won't always make you gain weight