New York City’s Upper West Side is now home to The Sanctuary Garden, a new adult-use cannabis dispensary located at 2610 Broadway. The dispensary officially opened its doors today, September 11, 2025, with a two-day grand opening celebration scheduled for September 26 and 27. Open daily from 8:00 AM to midnight, The Sanctuary Garden aims to provide a welcoming space for education, access, and healing through cannabis.
Founded by longtime community organizer, social worker, and legacy cannabis operator Daron Hudson, The Sanctuary Garden represents both personal resilience and collective progress. Hudson is the first justice-involved individual in New York’s Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program to help launch the state’s legal cannabis industry. His work on the opening team of Housing Works Cannabis—the state’s first legal dispensary in 2022—positioned him as a trusted advocate for equity and ownership in an evolving market. Now, through The Sanctuary Garden, Hudson continues to champion culture, community, and second chances.
A Founder Rooted in Legacy and Advocacy
Hudson’s journey to The Sanctuary Garden spans decades of advocacy and lived experience. As someone directly impacted by outdated cannabis laws, he embodies the vision of New York’s CAURD program, which was created to provide economic opportunities to individuals and families most affected by prohibition.
“The Sanctuary Garden represents everything I’ve worked toward—an environment where people feel safe, seen, and supported,” said Hudson. “Cannabis should be about more than transactions. It should be about healing, access, and building people up. I’m grateful to finally open these doors and create a place where community and legacy truly matter.”
By positioning the dispensary as a hub of culture and education, Hudson is offering more than retail. He is creating a model for how cannabis can serve as a vehicle for repair, reinvestment, and shared growth.
A Partnership with Indoor Treez
The Sanctuary Garden’s launch is supported by Indoor Treez, a cannabis operator with deep connections to New York City’s legacy cannabis community. Known for designing elevated retail environments, Indoor Treez brings decades of expertise in both culture and commerce.
“This partnership reflects everything we stand for at Indoor Treez—honoring legacy, elevating community voices, and creating standout retail experiences,” said a spokesperson for Indoor Treez. “We’re proud to bring our decades of industry expertise to this launch and support Daron’s powerful vision for The Sanctuary Garden.”
With Indoor Treez, The Sanctuary Garden blends a luxury consumer experience with grassroots credibility. Customers can expect a polished, modern environment while still feeling the authenticity of New York’s cannabis legacy woven throughout the store’s design and philosophy.
Curated Selection of New York State Cannabis
The Sanctuary Garden is stocked exclusively with products from licensed New York State cultivators, processors, and vendors. The curated menu features premium flower, pre-rolls, vapes, concentrates, and edibles. By sourcing only from licensed operators, Hudson and his team ensure that every item meets rigorous quality and safety standards.
The selection is designed to appeal to both new consumers and seasoned connoisseurs. Education is at the forefront, with staff prepared to guide customers through product categories, dosing information, and consumption methods. This approach reflects Hudson’s belief that cannabis should be paired with knowledge, creating more confident and empowered consumers.
Hours and Accessibility
The dispensary is open seven days a week from 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM, ensuring both neighborhood residents and visitors have convenient access. Its location on the Upper West Side makes it easily reachable for locals and tourists exploring Manhattan alike.
By maintaining extended hours, The Sanctuary Garden acknowledges the diverse schedules of New Yorkers, from early risers to night owls. This accessibility further underscores the dispensary’s mission of meeting people where they are and creating a space that feels genuinely inclusive.
Equity in Action
Hudson’s presence in the CAURD program carries weight beyond personal success. As the first justice-involved operator to help launch New York’s legal market, he continues to represent what equity can look like in practice. His work at Housing Works Cannabis gave him a firsthand view of how the industry could set standards for ownership, reinvestment, and restorative justice.
Now, The Sanctuary Garden takes that vision one step further. By embedding culture and community into its operations, Hudson is demonstrating how equity measures can be lived out on the ground—not just written into policy. This focus has the potential to influence how other operators, policymakers, and community leaders think about cannabis as a tool for healing and opportunity.
Community-Focused Initiatives on the Horizon
The Sanctuary Garden is more than a dispensary. Future plans include mentorship programming for justice-involved individuals, collaborations with local nonprofits, and educational activations to increase community knowledge about cannabis. These initiatives aim to create pathways into the industry for those historically excluded, while also enriching the broader Upper West Side community.
By integrating mentorship and education into the business model, Hudson hopes to plant seeds of long-term change. The Sanctuary Garden is envisioned not only as a retail destination but also as a cultural anchor—one that connects commerce with purpose.
Shaping the Future of Cannabis in New York
The Sanctuary Garden’s opening represents a pivotal moment for the Upper West Side and for New York’s cannabis industry at large. As the market matures, questions of equity, access, and sustainability remain central. Hudson’s leadership and the Indoor Treez partnership provide a blueprint for how legacy experience and modern retail can intersect to create meaningful progress.
For consumers, The Sanctuary Garden offers more than products on shelves. It provides an opportunity to engage with a story rooted in resilience, advocacy, and cultural authenticity. Each purchase becomes part of a larger narrative—one that supports justice-involved entrepreneurs, uplifts community voices, and strengthens the foundation of New York’s legal cannabis market.
Visit The Sanctuary Garden
The Sanctuary Garden is located at 2610 Broadway, New York, NY 10025, and will host its grand opening celebration on Friday, September 26, and Saturday, September 27, 2025. Guests can expect special programming, community engagement, and the chance to explore a thoughtfully curated menu of New York State cannabis.
For more information, visit thesanctuarygarden.co or follow on Instagram at @thesanctuarygarden.nyc.
Final Thoughts
The Sanctuary Garden represents more than another dispensary opening in Manhattan. It embodies the intersection of legacy, equity, and community empowerment. With Hudson at the helm and Indoor Treez as a partner, the dispensary is poised to make a lasting impact on New York’s cannabis landscape.
By prioritizing healing, education, and second chances, The Sanctuary Garden is setting a new standard for what cannabis retail can mean in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.
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