New York opens its first legal recreational marijuana dispensaryNEW YORK — The first legal dispensary for recreational marijuana in New York rung up its first sales on Thursday, opening up what is expected to be one of the country's most lucrative markets for cannabis — underscored by the dozens of unauthorized shops that have operated in the open for years.That's exactly the hope of New York marijuana regulators, who say that a supervised industry will help ensure that cannabis users are buying safe products.That, too, was the hope of Housing Works officials, who said that having a marijuana business will help fund its programs.But unlike many other states, New York has reserved its first round of retail licenses for nonprofits, as well as applicants with marijuana convictions and their relatives — an acknowledgement of the inequities produced by the country's war on drugs.King said that his nonprofit is hiring people who have been criminalized because of marijuana."