What should a modern cannabis dispensary feel like? For years, the answer leaned clinical or transactional—think bright lights and glass counters. There was a quiet sense that you needed to know what you were doing before you walked in. Seaweed RBNY turned that expectation on its head with a space that feels natural, not intimidating—familiar, not formal.
Situated in Rockaway Beach, New York, Seaweed Dispensary moves at the pace of the neighborhood. People drift in after a surf or on their way home from work. Some know exactly what they want, while others are stepping into a legal dispensary for the first time.
As the iconic New York punk rock band Ramones once said about Rockaway Beach, “It’s not hard, not far to reach.” The same could be said for Seaweed.
An Oceanside Oasis
Seaweed’s curated “coastal magic” vibe didn’t happen by accident; it was built through a story that’s as local as the storefront itself.
Once the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions began to lift, Founder Adam Linet started exploring New York’s newly legal cannabis market. Like many, he saw opportunity—but more importantly, he saw a chance to build something meaningful for the community after a period of isolation.
The idea for Seaweed took shape through conversations with staff, friends and neighbors. The name clicked early, and the project quickly became a collective effort. Linet, his wife Sam, and close collaborators began shaping what would become a deeply community-backed venture. In the end, 40 investors came on board. They were made up of neighbors, friends and family who believed in the vision—not sterile, outside capital or distant, faceless stakeholders. From its inception, Seaweed was built by the people it serves.
“It’s been a long journey to get Seaweed open,” Linet comments. “There’s a rare sense of trust within the group—in large part thanks to time spent together at parties, weddings and, of course, warm days on the beach. In the post-COVID isolation era, we neighbors actually like each other and enjoy spending time together.”
The road to opening wasn’t a fast one. Seaweed took more than four years to bring to life, navigating New York’s evolving cannabis regulations, licensing hurdles and construction timelines. When the doors finally opened in December 2025, it was the result of persistence, patience and a clear intention from the start: to make shopping for weed relaxed, easy and fun.
Riding the Wave of Legalization
Seaweed’s focus on New York-grown cannabis reflects a market still taking shape. Since New York legalized adult-use cannabis under the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act in 2021 and the launch of legal sales in 2022, the state has aimed to build an equity-driven industry. This means prioritizing licenses for communities impacted by prohibition and reinvesting tax revenue back into those areas.
However, the rollout hasn’t been seamless. Licensing delays and a st
