Latino Entrepreneurs Are Thriving In NYC’s Cannabis Market—Here’s The Proof
In New York’s cannabis game, the rules are different. This isn’t Illinois or Florida or Pennsylvania, where massive multistate operators often dominate the market and set the pace. Nor is it a rush to grab VC dollars. In New York, ambition means ownership placed directly in the hands of those locked out for decades. Inclusion here isn’t a slogan; it’s the blueprint, the norm. And few embody this better than Happy Munkey.
The brand, co-founded by Vladimir Bautista and Ramon Reyes, operates licensed dispensaries in Uptown Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.
The storefronts are new. The journey goes back years. Happy Munkey existed long before legalization, first as an underground cannabis lounge, then as a lifestyle brand rooted in Latino culture. Now, it’s fully legal, fully bilingual and fiercely proud.
This is what equity looks like when the neighborhood builds it.
“Today we want to recognize all the Latino entrepreneurs in our industry here in New York,” Bautista told Benzinga. His tone was prideful yet clear and firm – a statement that demanded attention.
Legalization With Purpose
When New York legalized cannabis in 2021, the state promised to center those who suffered the most during prohibition. Decades of aggressive policing had left Black and Latino communities disproportionately harmed. In 2020 alone, NYPD data shows that more than 90% of low-level marijuana arrests targeted Black and Latino New Yorkers. That’s the reality New York chose to address head-on.
The state’s Office of Cannabis Management introduced the Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program, explicitly prioritizing people directly impacted by cannabis criminalization. By late 2024, more than half of CAURD …