Cannabis and Women's Wellness in New York: What the Research Support,  and Why Vanessa Yee-Chan Built Alta Dispensary for Women First

"Women are the fastest-growing consumers of cannabis," said Alta Dispensary founder Vanessa Yee-Chan when she opened her Nolita shop at 52 Kenmare St A, New York, NY 10012 in September 2024, "and to be able to capture that in the beginnings of the New York City market resonates with me." Yee-Chan discovered cannabis herself in her late 30s after years of struggling with insomnia and anxiety. She opened Alta specifically to create "a space unlike typical smoke shop-like dispensaries" — welcoming, design-forward, and organized around how you want to feel rather than what product you want to buy.

"Being women-owned and exploring the plant myself, this was a great way to express myself and show that women can consume and it doesn't have to be so discreet anymore."

— Vanessa Yee-Chan, Founder, Alta Dispensary

The research is catching up to her intuition. A 2025 study in the Journal of Women's Health found that among women aged 35–60 using cannabis therapeutically, 68 percent reported meaningful improvement in sleep quality, 54 percent reported reduced menstrual pain severity, and 42 percent reported reduced perimenopausal symptom intensity — all without significant adverse effects at low to moderate doses.

Alta's Effect-Based System — Why It Works

Most dispensaries organize by product type: flower, edibles, vapes, concentrates. Alta organizes by intended effect: Rest for sleep support, Relief for pain and PMS, Chill for anxiety, Focus for clarity, Vibe for social energy. This framework is genuinely more useful for wellness-motivated consumers — especially first-timers — who know what they want to feel but don't yet know what product will get them there.

Alta's "sniff here" jars, handcrafted by the Yee-Chan family, let customers explore aromas before committing. The metallic mesh curtains Vanessa designed — which elegantly obscure views from the street while keeping the interior airy — reflect the same thoughtfulness: every detail was built for someone who might feel uncertain walking into a cannabis store for the first time.

Visit at 52 Kenmare St A, New York, NY 10012, call (646) 707-0190, or order at altadispensary.nyc. Free delivery below 24th Street. Hours: Mon–Wed 11am–9pm · Thu–Sat 11am–11pm · Sun 11am–8pm.

Alta Dispensary · 52 Kenmare St A, New York, NY 10012 · Woman-founded by Vanessa Yee-Chan · (646) 707-0190