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The Upper West Side’s cannabis landscape continues to expand with the official opening of The Sanctuary Garden, a licensed adult-use dispensary located at 2610 Broadway between 98th and 99th streets. The store began its soft-launch on Thursday, with a two-day grand opening celebration scheduled for later this month.
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Founded by Daron Hudson—a longtime community organizer, social worker, and veteran of New York’s cannabis industry—The Sanctuary Garden is the fifth licensed dispensary to open in the neighborhood, joining Super Fly, The Flowery, Just A Little Higher, and Flower Power Dispensers. The store operates daily from 8 a.m. to midnight and offers a variety of cannabis flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles, and CBD products from licensed cultivators and vendors across New York State.
Hudson brings a long-standing connection to the neighborhood. In a previous interview with ILTUWS, he said, “I have an affinity with the UWS. I used to go to school there, I went to John Jay College. I still frequent it. It’s like a home away from home.”
The Sanctuary Garden is more than a retail venture for Hudson. A justice-involved individual and one of the first licensees under New York State’s Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program, he helped launch the state’s inaugural legal dispensary—Housing Works Cannabis—in 2022. His latest venture continues his efforts to make the cannabis industry more inclusive and community-oriented.
“The Sanctuary Garden represents everything I’ve worked toward—an environment where people feel safe, seen, and supported,” said Hudson in a statement. “Cannabis should be about more than transactions. It should be about healing, access, and building people up.”
The dispensary is opening in partnership with Indoor Treez, a cannabis operator with roots in New York’s legacy market. Indoor Treez is known for combining upscale design with community-centered values and is helping to shape The Sanctuary Garden into a space that bridges cultural legacy with modern retail expectations.
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Hudson’s operation is part of the state’s Social and Economic Equity (SEE) initiative, which prioritizes support for individuals from communities disproportionately affected by past drug laws. As part of that mission, The Sanctuary Garden may eventually introduce mentorship programs, nonprofit collaborations, and educational events designed to engage local residents and support other justice-involved entrepreneurs.
The dispensary takes over the space formerly occupied by Sister Salon and marks another step in the neighborhood’s transition from an unregulated cannabis market to a more tightly licensed retail environment. Local officials, including Council Member Gale Brewer, have continued efforts to shutter unlicensed smoke shops while supporting legal dispensaries like The Sanctuary Garden.
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