Seaweed to Open in Arverne on December 15

By Katie McFadden

The wait is over. It’s high tide and the waves have rolled in some Seaweed. On Monday, December 15, Rockaway’s largest cannabis dispensary, Seaweed, finally opens its doors in Arverne.

After years in the making, Seaweed, located at 73-13 Beach Channel Drive, opens at 10 a.m. on Monday. With a large location, this weed warehouse will have almost every marijuana product you can think of, and some you probably never thought of. Seaweed will be a one-stop shop for flower, pre-rolls, carts, gummies and other edibles, low to high THC products, beverages and even things like honey, Nutella and tea bags, with products sourced in Queens and across NY state. Plus, they have plenty of merch from hats to hoodies to rock the fitting Seaweed brand around Rockaway.

Seaweed comes from the minds of Samantha and Adam Linet, owner of Vino by the Sea, and Kevin Joyce and his wife, Patty DiBart, who themselves enjoy marijuana products for a range of reasons including recreational use, medical use and even as a sleep aide. But this is a community-backed dream, with 40 investors, including neighbors, family and friends, who have eagerly awaited the opening of Seaweed.

The idea for Seaweed came before it was even legalized in New York in March 2021. Adam Linet, who has 20 years of experience in the wine and liquor business, was paying close attention as then Governor Andrew Cuomo was getting ready to sign the bill that would officially make marijuana legal in the state. “With my experience in controlled substance retail, I was prepared to move to cannabis. It just made a lot of sense and it’s something I enjoy,” Linet said.

And once licenses were released, there was no turning back as the Linets moved full speed ahead and got others on board. “It was easy to raise money because everyone was excited about the projects. We’re thankful for all of the support,” Linet said. And having a lot of community involvement has helped create buzz as the investors and future customers have awaited Seaweed’s opening. “Having investors created built in buzz and support, which was nice. I had done everything myself with my liquor stores, which is hard, so having people around that have different experience support us, made things easier. Over the past two years, it’s really created this organic buzz around Rockaway,” Linet said.

That buzz has also spread as soon as the painted mural went on up the large building on Beach 73rd and Rockaway Beach Blvd., which the partners signed the 20-year lease for about three years ago. They had looked into other locations, but with a cannabis license comes some limitations, but it was a no brainer when they saw the for rent sign on the building in Arverne. “They had a really great per square foot price, and we didn’t just want to open a store. We wanted to open something that would make a statement and people would be proud of in Rockaway,” Linet said.

It just took a little longer than expected to open as the partners faced permit hurdles and delays with licensing. Plus, they needed time to build out the upscale coastal interior of the shop to match the name. With a sandy and ocean blue theme, beachy signs and even surfboards decorating the walls, Seaweed makes you want to ride the waves before you even buy their products.

Seaweed will be open to all of those 21+. As you walk in the door, guests will have to show ID, which will be scanned, and they’ll be allowed to enter the main showroom when capacity allows. There, you’ll find empty products on display to browse, as well as a bud bar, where you can look at and even smell products locked in a display. When you’re ready, you can simply order on a kiosk or find a friendly staffer for help. Once your order is set, head to the main counter to pay for your product (cash only or by debit card with fees), and it’ll be packaged in the back, and brought out for you to take with you. There’s also an ATM on site for those who forget cash.

Making things even easier, Seaweed has an app and a website where you can place an order in advance and pick up at a separate window inside for a fast transaction. Plus, they’ll even offer home delivery via ebikes or vehicle, so you can simply chill at home.

For those who may be new to this, Seaweed wants to strive to be a place that reduces the lingering stigma around marijuana and serve as an educational resource. They’re going to offer lessons on things like how to roll a joint and will have postcards around to explain things like the differences between sativa and indica, with staff on hand to answer any questions about specific products to help you find just what you need.

And there are some perks for those who become regular customers. Seaweed offers a robust rewards system, where you get points or “sand dollars” just for signing up, and then with every order, plus delivery bonuses, app bonuses and extra points for purchasing certain products that are highlighted. The more points customers collect, the higher tiers they’ll reach with more perks, starting at the lowest, “Rising Tide” tier, working their way up to “High Tide” and beyond.

With a 20-year lease, the partners in Seaweed hope it becomes a flagship store on the peninsula and a trusted source for decades. “We want to make this a place that can bring a positive vibe to the community we all love already,” Linet said.

And they can’t wait to get started on Monday. On how it feels to finally open, Joyce said, “It’s amazing!” Linet added, “That pit in my stomach changed from dread and anxiety to excitement and feeling lucky that we had the opportunity to build something from the ground up and see it come to fruition. It’s super exciting and humbling that so many people are involved and are excited to see this happen. We’ve been on this ride for a long time. Ultimately, we want the community to feel proud and excited that a beautiful cannabis dispensary is opening in Rockaway.”

Seaweed will be open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. For more info, check out https://seaweedrbny.com, call 718-474-1851, email wave@seaweedrbny.com and download the Seaweed RBNY app. And for updates, follow @seaweedrbny on Instagram.