look book

The Look Book Goes to Housing Works Cannabis Co

A Friday afternoon in line at New York City’s first legal recreational-weed dispensary.

Photo: DeSean McClinton-Holland
Photo: DeSean McClinton-Holland

Freddy Shands (pictured above)
Entertainment-company founder and CEO, Northeast Bronx

How long have you smoked weed?
For the last 52 years, and I’m 61. I was around when they had weed in brown-paper bags. So I’m not only an avid smoker; I’m a connoisseur.

So what’d you think of the dispensary?
First of all, it is so tacky. It looks like a Waffle House. Also, it’s the yuppie crowd. They put this in the area where the white people are, where the money’s at. So now I gotta go down into Manhattan, into their area, to buy their weed. The government figures they’ll close all the smoke shops and no one will have a choice but to go to the places they open. But I know a lot of people that won’t go. They don’t have enough money. Half of them just have regular jobs, delivering food or whatever. They’ll go to the regular shops and get their $20 bags. They’re not going to pay those high prices. It’s highway robbery.

Will you go back?
Yes. Because they have good weed, my dear. Excellent weed.

Magdalena Ruz Palma

Psychologist, Santiago, Chile

Pablo Paredes

Budtender, Harlem


What’s it like working here?

Growing up, due to my circumstances, I used to sell weed. So when I found out what was going on through news, I just emailed them. And thank God, thank the universe, I was able to get an interview. Being able to do this legally, the right way, correctly, is funny. There’s a lot of enjoyment and a love and a passion for it.

Alexis Ramirez

Administrative assistant, Crown Heights

Matias Montecinos

Software developer, Santiago, Chile

Jasmine Vegas

Singer, Paris


How’d you hear about this?

I came with a friend. I’m not a smoker myself. Well, I was, but a couple years ago I had an accident where I had a bit of wine and then a joint. I got very dizzy and fell and sprained my finger and coccyx. I thought, Jas, you’re too old to be doing this. I decided it’s gotta be one or the other, and I couldn’t give up wine.

Matthew Adams

Cultural strategist, Midtown East

Holland Burkert

Production coordinator, East Village

Dom Richards

Musician, Windsor Terrace

Rebecca Cohen

Account coordinator, Gramercy Park

Stephen Jackson

Freelancer, Bushwick

Chloe King

Coffee-equipment technician, Ridgewood

Patricia Wiese

Copywriter, Soho


So what’d you get?

The peach gummies. For my friend, mostly. I have to be careful because I suffer from type-two narcolepsy. Basically, if I don’t make myself busy with something or keep my attention on something, I will end up falling asleep. So I play a lot of Candy Crush on the train.

Alex Vanier

Sales-strategy director, Lower East Side

Lucy Nalen

Book publicist, West Village

Irene Diaz

Chief administrative officer, Riverdale

Micheal Osorio

Test engineer, Bellmore

Jude Gorjanc

First assistant director, Bedford-Stuyvesant


What were the prices like?

I have nothing recent to compare it to, but I got ten joints for somewhere around $100, which seemed pretty good to me. Especially because one toke is enough.

Carly Clayton

Music distributor, Upper West Side

Photographs by DeSean McClinton-Holland

Magdalena Ruz Palma

Psychologist, Santiago, Chile

Pablo Paredes

Budtender, Harlem


What’s it like working here?

Growing up, due to my circumstances, I used to sell weed. So when I found out what was going on through news, I just emailed them. And thank God, thank the universe, I was able to get an interview. Being able to do this legally, the right way, correctly, is funny. There’s a lot of enjoyment and a love and a passion for it.

Alexis Ramirez

Administrative assistant, Crown Heights

Matias Montecinos

Software developer, Santiago, Chile

Jasmine Vegas

Singer, Paris


How’d you hear about this?

I came with a friend. I’m not a smoker myself. Well, I was, but a couple years ago I had an accident where I had a bit of wine and then a joint. I got very dizzy and fell and sprained my finger and coccyx. I thought, Jas, you’re too old to be doing this. I decided it’s gotta be one or the other, and I couldn’t give up wine.

Matthew Adams

Cultural strategist, Midtown East

Holland Burkert

Production coordinator, East Village

Dom Richards

Musician, Windsor Terrace

Rebecca Cohen

Account coordinator, Gramercy Park

Stephen Jackson

Freelancer, Bushwick

Chloe King

Coffee-equipment technician, Ridgewood

Patricia Wiese

Copywriter, Soho


So what’d you get?

The peach gummies. For my friend, mostly. I have to be careful because I suffer from type-two narcolepsy. Basically, if I don’t make myself busy with something or keep my attention on something, I will end up falling asleep. So I play a lot of Candy Crush on the train.

Alex Vanier

Sales-strategy director, Lower East Side

Lucy Nalen

Book publicist, West Village

Irene Diaz

Chief administrative officer, Riverdale

Micheal Osorio

Test engineer, Bellmore

Jude Gorjanc

First assistant director, Bedford-Stuyvesant


What were the prices like?

I have nothing recent to compare it to, but I got ten joints for somewhere around $100, which seemed pretty good to me. Especially because one toke is enough.

Carly Clayton

Music distributor, Upper West Side

Photographs by DeSean McClinton-Holland

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